Despite increased program offerings at many community colleges, the retention and success of developmental students are often extremely low. Research has indicated that a complex set of challenges complicates developmental student success, but students' experiences with these variables are not well understood. In this paper, I report findings from…

Research indicates that African-American non-traditional female students often experience academic difficulties when they have a placement in developmental education programs and courses at community colleges. As a result, African-American non-traditional female students often drop these courses, leave college, and do not persist to degree…

Community colleges typically offer extensive developmental education programs to students with weak academic skills in order to prepare them for college-level coursework. Yet, for students referred to developmental mathematics education, rates of completion in developmental math courses and in college-level math courses required for a degree are…

Attrition is a major issue facing nearly all institutions of higher learning. The loss of students affects colleges and universities on many levels and can have a negative impact on students. Community colleges often experience greater attrition than other types of institutions and have an increased need to curb the outflow of students. This study…

This article draws on the findings from a mixed-methods New Zealand study of the experience of service use of 605 vulnerable young people (aged 13-17 years). Drawing on the survey data, it focuses on the factors that assisted young people to stay on-track with their education. Key findings include: being able to stay at mainstream school was the…

This qualitative study describes members of the Liberal Arts/English adjunct faculty at one mid-Atlantic urban community college (MAUCC), their perceptions of the organizational climate of their program, and their satisfaction and motivation patterns. The study was designed as a case study focusing on one MAUCC department. Adjunct faculty members…

In 2011, under the Florida College and Career Readiness Initiative (FCCRI), Florida made college placement testing mandatory for 11th-grade students who had scored in the midrange of its standardized 10th-grade assessment. Those with placement test scores below college-ready were assigned in 12th grade to college readiness and success…

Student attrition has been a significant challenge facing higher education for decades and is particularly pronounced within community colleges. Specifically, first-time postsecondary students only experienced a 59.3 percent retention rate between Fall 2013 and Fall 2014; at two-year colleges, less than half (46.9 percent) of students were…

The equity lens evaluates institutional barriers that prevent students of color from gaining access to resources for college success (Bensimon, 2005). The first-generation college students at the University of Southern California are 16% of the total student body and students of color comprise two-thirds of this population. Since 2008, how to…

The Iowa Department of Education collects information on developmental education (Dev. Ed.) from Iowa's 15 community colleges on an annual basis. Dev. Ed. courses are offered in mathematics, reading, writing, English as a Second Language (ESL), and in other subject areas such as financial literacy and skill building. These credits do not count…

The Alaska Performance Scholarship (APS) is beginning its ninth year rewarding students who strive to excel in high school and continue their education in degree and certificate programs in Alaska. This report covers the high school, postsecondary, Alaska residency, and workforce outcomes of the APS program between 2011-Fall 2018.

The Alaska Performance Scholarship (APS) is beginning its tenth year rewarding students who strive to excel in high school and continue their education in degree and certificate programs in Alaska. This report covers the high school, postsecondary, Alaska residency, and workforce outcomes of the APS program between 2011-Fall 2019. [For…

This article provides an overview of GED holders admitted into the Successful Transition and Retention Track (START) two-year pilot-project. An enhanced college-success course, career and mental-health counseling, and English and mathematics tutoring acclimated GED holders to college. Results suggest that postsecondary educational attainment of…

In 2007, the president of Shelton State Community College in Alabama announced that with more than 60% of incoming freshmen placing into developmental courses, the college had a moral and ethical obligation to provide top-quality opportunities for underprepared students. He appointed a team to investigate options for improving services and…

In 2006, the National Center for Postsecondary Research, of which is MDRC is a partner, launched a demonstration of one-semester learning community programs at six colleges; five of these programs focused on developmental education. This is the final report from the project and includes findings from analyses that pool data across these five…