For the past decade, MDRC has evaluated a number of interventions designed to improve the outcomes of community college students, including enhanced counseling, learning communities, and financial incentives. Encouragingly, many of these strategies have produced positive effects, affirming that changes in institutional practices and policies can…

Nationwide, close to 40 million adults lack a high school diploma or a General Educational Development (GED) credential. About a quarter of high school freshmen do not graduate in four years, and while many high school dropouts eventually do attend GED preparation classes, too few ever pass the GED exam or go on to college. Students with only a…

In recent years, the transition from higher education to work in comparative perspective has attracted increasing attention from scholars and practitioners alike. Previous studies reveal similarities and differences in labour market outcomes across countries, but explanatory frameworks mainly refer to fields of study, whereas differences by types…

A project compared the use of cognitive style mapping (CSM) in individualized instruction and counseling with current institutional practices in secretarial science and developmental studies. (CSM is defined as a means of assessing each student's preferences in receiving and processing information--for purposes of personalizing and individualizing…

This report is a compilation of information on the educational, parent involvement, health services, social services, and staff development components of Prekindergarten Head Start, a School District of Philadelphia child development preschool program for children of low income families. Instructional models used in the program were Bank Street,…

It is a difficult time for policymakers, business leaders, and education leaders to think about ways to increase the numbers of students graduating from high school prepared for college and the work force when their focus is on reducing budgets. But now is the best time to plan for the future. Now is the time to explore programs that may bear…

Addresses the problems related to research design and the improper interpretation of survey results at the institutional level. Analyzes the validity of student opinion surveys. Discusses the importance of response rates. Encourages developmental educators to question results of surveys when outcomes are contrary to the findings of research…

This report outlines the program structures and faculty/staff roles of a developmental learning community (LC) initiative at Hillsborough Community College, Ybor Campus (Florida). The program consists of educational structures that link existing developmental courses and curriculum materials to a central theme: the importance of technology…

This paper describes the development of the University of Georgia's Division of Developmental Studies--a program providing special developmental instruction to students who otherwise would not have been admitted to the school. It consists of four components: English, mathematics, reading, and counseling. The objectives of each of these components…