Research for Action (RFA) in partnership with the University of Texas at Austin is engaged in a five-year mixed-methods study of the reforms associated with California AB 705. Over the course of the study, our team will assess the implementation, impact, and cost effectiveness of reforms associated with the law. This second interim report,…

Recent calls for coursework acceleration, reforms efforts, and promising pedagogical practices have resulted in the reemergence of integrated reading and writing (IRW) courses in community colleges nationwide. To answer such calls, a number of IRW textbooks have been published and implemented rapidly, perhaps out of convenience. This study was a…

This article examines two course redesigns undertaken to improve student support, learning, and retention in the basic writing program at Oakland University, a doctoral research university in southeast Michigan, where support for developmental writers has fluctuated dramatically between nurture and neglect over the past fifty years. However,…

"Informed math self-placement," a program implemented at American River College in Sacramento, California, to determine students' readiness for college-level math, has been in place for three years. This case study describes the development and implementation of math self-placement at American River. Math self-placement consists of a…

In the course of developing a master plan for the arts at its Metropolitan Campus, Cuyahoga Community College conducted a nation-wide survey of 40 urban community colleges to assess the status of arts instruction and curricula. A 25-item questionnaire solicited information on: (1) the college environment (urban or suburban); (2) total enrollment;…

Results of an external evaluation of the Strengthening Developing Institutions Program (SDIP) at Austin Peay State University are presented. This federally-funded Title III SDIP program entailed five activities during 1980-1983: developmental studies program, administrative/operational support systems, career business and professional programs,…