Historically, colleges have used standardized testing to determine whether a student is ready for college-level work or requires developmental courses first, but this method has been criticized as inaccurate. To obtain more accurate placements, nearly three-quarters of colleges now use multiple measures assessment (MMA) systems. These systems…

The Community College Pathways initiative consists of two pathways, Statway® and Quantway®, that accelerate post-secondary students' progress through their developmental mathematics sequence and a college-level course for credit. Launched in 2011, the Pathways have been remarkably successful, helping thousands of students achieve success in…

This article examines current policies and early intervention services for children with disabilities and their families in Canada within the principles of the Developmental Systems Approach (M. J. Guralnick, 2005, 2011). The article considers the sociopolitical context of Canada, especially with respect to diversity and equity. Applying the…

In this study the author examines the use of small peer-led collaborative learning groups to change students' perceptions of mathematics and their success in developmental mathematics classes at a small tribal community college. The quasi-experimental study involved both quantitative and qualitative data. Rationale for, methods of, and outcomes…

Many postsecondary students possess risk factors that are associated with decreased rates of persistence and credential completion. Traditional students, those without risk factors and with greater rates of postsecondary success are in the minority. Using data from Achieving the Dream: Community College Count, this issue of "Data Notes" examines…

Recently the state of Missouri, through the Missouri Department of Higher Education, has started to work toward the goal of having 60 percent of state residents hold some type of postsecondary credential. This goal aligns with similar initiatives in other states as well as President Obama's objective for the nation. In order to reach this…

The impact of developmental mathematics programs on student success in college-level mathematics has been a controversial topic in higher education. One limitation of the current research is that scholars have been unable to isolate the causal impact of such participation on the student's success in college-level mathematics because it is…

Using data from Achieving the Dream: Community Colleges Count, this issue looks at the differences between students enrolled part-time, compared with those enrolled full-time, during their first term. The analysis addresses differences in developmental needs, as well as various outcome measures -- persistence, credits completed, and accumulated…

The Educational Opportunity Centers (EOC) program is one of the federal TRIO programs, a group of eight outreach programs funded by the U.S. Department of Education that are designed to support and assist students from disadvantaged backgrounds to progress through the academic pipeline from middle school to attainment of a postbaccalaureate…

Comparison of the efficacy of integrating 41 elementary school students with moderate mental retardation into either regular classes, a special class with a community-based program, or a special class with a traditional developmental program found that, after 2 years, no single program was superior to the other 2. (Author/DB)

At two women's liberal arts colleges, freshman (n=127, n=140) perceptions of academic advising style were measured. Although students reported developmental advising at both institutions, the mean score at one college was significantly more developmental than at the other. Frequency of contact and an academic planning component were significant…

"Data Notes" is a bimonthly publication that examines data to illuminate the challenges facing Achieving the Dream colleges and to chart their progress over time. Gateway courses generally include the first college-level English and math courses students are required to take. Increasing the number of students who attempt gateway classes…

Using data from Achieving the Dream: Community Colleges Count, this issue of "Data Notes" highlights some of the differences that exist between states. In addition to Achieving the Dream data, this report includes data from the U.S. Department of Education's Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) for the 2008-09 academic year to…

Using data from Achieving the Dream: Community College Count, this issue of "Data Notes" compares students in the 2002 Achieving the Dream cohort in terms of achievement and persistence over three academic years based on Pell Grant receipt. The results reveal a complicated relationship between Pell Grant receipt and measures of student success.…

Ongoing action research at the University of Pretoria investigates first-year students' preparedness for a study in calculus. In 2005 first-year engineering students completed a mathematics diagnostic survey at the beginning and end of the year. In this article the results of the 2005 survey are compared with the students' final school marks in…