Many students enter higher education with poor preparation for college mathematics courses. These students are often placed through high-stakes placement testing into developmental coursework that bear no credit towards graduation, but many students who begin in developmental coursework never succeed in a college-level mathematics course. Recent…

Over the past decade, policymakers, educators, and administrators in community colleges and other broad-access postsecondary institutions have focused on reforming developmental education practices, including how students are assessed as needing additional academic support. Concurrent with widespread changes in practice, researchers have engaged…

During recent decades, there has been an influx of underprepared students in America's colleges and universities. At many institutions, programs have been created to assist these high risk students through special classes and/or support services. Through application of student development theory these programs can shed the negative connotations of…

Reviews the literature concerning homosexual identity development. Discusses at-risk issues (suicide, human immunodeficiency virus and Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome infection, school problems) and developmental difficulties for gay and lesbian youth (sensitization, identity confusion, identity assumption, commitment). Proposes developmental…

A number of sources have focused upon the lower socio-economic category of community college students and their success in completing a four-year college program. Some are pessimistic, claiming that very low percentages of two-year college students ever graduate from four-year college programs, and that most who drop out are from low income…

Examines the culture-specific needs of Native-American students in higher education. Identifies family support, student-support services, and precollege preparation as factors contributing to academic success, and finances and cultural differences as contributing to failure. Asserts that developmental educators must be aware of these factors in…

Explores the essence of developmental education, looking at its roots in the American higher education system, and discusses how it evolved into its present state. Provides a student case study and four assumptions underlying the National Association for Developmental Education's working definition of developmental education. Contains 13…

Presents school psychology as a viable resource for service to special needs students in a postsecondary setting, including those in the community college system. Student, teacher, and administrator perceptions of educational needs are examined. Suggests that no one professional in the community college currently meets all the needs discussed.…

Summarizes the literature on developmental reading and writing programs by discussing strategies for addressing remedial needs and obstacles to remediation. Presents the results of internal evaluations of developmental reading programs conducted at four colleges. Defines 16 strategies used by community colleges to implement effective remedial…

Lists the latest ERIC documents that describe institutional and state studies of community college remedial programs. Provides bibliographical information and a brief abstract of relevant documents. (YKH)

Programs providing academic support services in colleges and universities and the evaluation of these services are reviewed. Attention is also directed to the need for opportunities in higher education for students with marginal high school academic records, and responses to the need by institutions of higher education. It is suggested that there…