Developmental courses in English, math, and reading have an important purpose in higher education, especially in the open-access world of community colleges. These classes--also referred to as "remedial"--are intended to give less-prepared students a chance to catch up and meet the challenges of college-level coursework. However,…

Describes the developmental studies learning program at Georgia State University (GSU), focusing on two services: supplemental instruction, or extra tests and study groups directly related to course content, and adjunct course offerings, or learning-strategies instruction related to courses. Provides 10 steps for expanding the role of academic…

Discusses the interplay of short- and long-term goals in developmental education, suggesting that long-term goals should provide the focus, stability, and motivation for short-term goals. Indicates that successful programs utilize strategic approaches to learning and use means which meet both sets of goals simultaneously. (MAB)

Describes the Abbott Union School and its program for traumatized and neglected adolescents. Reproduces a short novel written by one of the students. (CRH)

Reports on the experiences of Indiana University-Purdue University at Fort Wayne in providing developmental education for auto workers, both new and relocated, for a new assembly plant. Considers problems with staffing, company interactions, institutional interactions, and simple delivery logistics and the ways they were solved. Highlights program…

The minimum competency goal that now dominates college basic skills instruction is not adequate to prepare the student for success in and beyond college. More can be accomplished within basic skills courses than the mere acquisition of literal information from a reading selection. The use of thematic unity can impose meaningful organization on the…

Describes the Liberal Arts Studies (LAS) Program at Medgar Evers College (New York), which successfully merges basic skills and liberal arts education. Each LAS course is considered part of the foundation for a specific professional studies program, while providing knowledge and abilities that contribute to lifelong learning. (DMM)

Discusses the Gateway Program at New Jersey's Rutgers University, in which departments administer their own developmental classes. Describes reasons for the program's success, including small class sizes, providing students with gradual increases in autonomy, frequent assessment and feedback, and teaching strategies that require participation.…

With focus on improving the effectiveness of the Mathematics Laboratory at Somerset County College, this paper provides background information on individualized instruction programs and learning centers, assesses the current status of the Math Lab, and offers a series of recommendations for immediate implementation. The first sections set forth a…

This volume presents 27 articles from "The Journal of College Literacy and Learning," a peer-reviewed journal (formerly the "Forum for Reading") produced by the International Reading Association's College Literacy and Learning Special Interest Group. Following "Foreword" (Donna E. Alvermann) and…

Outlines the potential for using whole language for remediation of reading disabilities. Criticizes current approaches to remediation. Discusses six principles of whole language instruction that are effective for remediation. Describes four whole-language programs that have successfully remediated students. Suggests alternative assessment…

The workshop represented in this proceedings was conducted to stimulate dialogue on the place of remedial instruction in postsecondary education and to promote the effectiveness of remedial/developmental education and the maintenance of educational quality. The proceedings begin with an introduction to the workshop and its 14 resulting…

One of the most difficult problems facing colleges today is dealing with students whose basic skills are too low to allow them to benefit from college-level studies. While some institutions seem to have given up expectations for underprepared students' achievement, others have instituted massive programs of individualized counseling and tutoring…

Issues in community college basic skills instruction are reviewed and two model programs are outlined in this paper. First, concerns about student illiteracy, lack of academic preparation, and failure to complete courses are discussed, and public demands for educational accountability are examined. Next, the relationship between the "open…

Defines postsecondary remedial education and discusses the controversy surrounding it, including who will be responsible for paying its tuition, the amount of remediation that should be offered in two-year versus four-year colleges, and mounting pressures from state legislators and policymakers. (VWC)