Ferris State University's (FSU's) Collegiate Skills Program assists academically underprepared students in their transition to college. The program was initiatied in fall 1985 in response to increasing numbers of entering freshmen with inadequate reading and writing skills and subsequent high rates of attrition. Focusing initially on students with…

This study was designed to compare (on locus of control and several achievement variables) middle school students who have been instructed for two semesters in a cooperative learning study skills class with those who have been instructed for two semesters in a competitive study skills class. Seventy-six eighth graders were given a semester of…

A research project was conducted in fall 1984 to identify all developmental classes taught in Washington's community colleges and to collect enrollment and student data for the entire system. Study findings, based on responses from 23 colleges and information provided by the Washington State Board for Community College Education, included the…

A 310 Project was conducted at North Iowa Community College to improve basic skills instruction for adult college students. The project involved these goals and objectives: (1) staff development for instructors of the basic skills curricula; (2) generating enthusiasm for basic skills instruction in the underprepared student; (3) assessment of…

Part of a systematic, in-depth assessment of Miami-Dade Community College's (MDCC's) educational programs, student support systems, and selected campus-level activities, this volume of the college's institutional self-study report examines the impact and effectiveness of prescriptive education at the MDCC. The report contains results of four…

A five-week summer program for special acceptance students has been developed at St. Mary's University of San Antonio, Texas. Students accepted into the program must show high potential in the form of good high school grades or high test results. The special acceptance program has three components. The academic skills component is a three hour…

Discusses Delgado Community College's new approach to student services, which has aligned the college's fundamental academic testing and placement functions with expanded career advisement and job placement services to create a logical progression of services. Highlights the roles of the Developmental Studies and Human Development Department and…

More than 90% of Bronx Community College (BCC) (New York) students require remedial coursework, and more than 90% also qualify for federal and state aid. Almost all of the freshmen at BCC are the first in their families to attend college. Most of the student body are women, many of whom have children, and there is a large population of…

This is volume 14 of Leadership Abstracts, a newsletter published by the League for Innovation (California). Issue 1 of February 2001, "Developmental Education: A Policy Primer," discusses developmental programs in the community college. According to the article, community college trustees and presidents would serve their constituents well by…

A study was undertaken at Arizona's Pima Community College (PCC) to determine the extent to which entering students took writing, reading, and mathematics placement tests and followed placement recommendations, as well as the relationship between the completion of recommended courses and subsequent academic performance. The study sample consisted…

This paper identifies six core principles and recommends strategies that will foster high academic achievement, close the achievement gap, and promote civic and personal growth among all high-school-age youth in the high schools and communities. At the center of the framework is the Alliance's belief that the purpose of high school is to ensure…

Provides an annotated bibliography of materials from the ERIC system that highlight major policy issues in providing remedial/developmental education within higher education, as well as studies that have measured the effectiveness of these policies. (YKH)

Describes a study of the comprehension strategies used by four community college developmental reading students, comparing results for two "less able" and two "more able" readers. Reports that the "more able" readers employed interpreting strategies more often than the "less able" readers. Reviews implications for teachers. The questionnaire is…

Examines the impact of statewide mandatory testing and placement in Tennessee's community colleges on the retention and academic progress of minority students. Reports that attrition is higher for developmental students and higher for minority than White students. Few Blacks enroll directly in college-level courses and fewer still persist for…

The 115 African-American and other nontraditional medical students attending a summer program in study skills and academic preparation to promote achievement and retention were compared with 82 nonattendees on demographic and academic measures. Little difference was found in the groups, except that attendees felt the program helped them adjust to…