Mathematics has long served as a prerequisite to introductory financial accounting in the 4-year college business curriculum. However, 2-year colleges have been slower to adopt math as a prerequisite. Its usefulness in relation to achieving successful completion of accounting has not been demonstrated at either a 2-year or 4-year college. Using…

Both students and instructors alike will generally agree that intermediate accounting courses are among the most difficult and demanding in an accounting or finance curriculum, and perhaps even on the college campus. Intermediate accounting contains subject matter which requires a higher level of thinking and a greater ability to process prior…

Explores English 100 eligibility and English 100 success prerequisites as enhancers of Cabrillo College (California) students' ability to succeed in Speech Communication, Criminal Justice, and Fire Technology. This study also tested for disproportionate impacts of the proposed prerequisites on ethnicity, gender, and disability groups. For all…

A study was conducted at Blinn College in Texas to investigate the performance of students enrolled in 20 selected fall 1993 courses and their subsequent performance in related courses in spring 1994. The study sought to provide an outcome measure for the courses that could be use in program review and development, student advisement, and student…

To deal with an increasing student withdrawal rate from courses, Fullerton College instituted a Skills Prerequisite System, involving mandatory assessment of learning skills in reading, writing, and mathematics followed by prescriptive mandatory placement in appropriate remedial instruction prior to ernollment in skill-dependent, entry-level…

The assessment/advisement/placement process utilized at Sacramento City College (SCC) includes a waiver system designed to meet the needs of those students who have demonstrated proficiency by means other than the usual assessment process. In fall 1983, 506 students were permitted to enroll in a variety of classes on the basis of having taken a…

When a discipline enters the lock-out mode in the San Jose/Evergreen Community College District, the computer prevents a student from registering in any course in that discipline unless he/she has completed all prerequisites for that course. To determine how this registration process affected enrollments, average daily attendance (ADA) figures…

This report addresses the success of students as they progress through reading, English, and mathematics course sequences at Miami-Dade Community College (M-DCC) (Florida). Results suggest that passing prerequisite courses does not ensure that students are adequately prepared for the next course in the sequence, especially in the lower level…

This report addresses the success of students as they progress through reading, English, and mathematics course sequences at Miami-Dade Community College (M-DCC) (Florida). Results suggest that passing prerequisite courses does not ensure that students are adequately prepared for the next course in the sequence, especially in the lower-level…

Focusing on the appropriate use of prerequisite courses, this document discusses good practices for implementing prerequisites as developed by the Academic Senate of the California Community Colleges. The first section provides an introduction to the use of prerequisites, discussing the need to balance student access and success, as well as state…

A study using students' grades was conducted to examine the validity of the prerequisites for the Criminal Justice Curriculum at Kirkwood Community College (Cedar Rapids, IA). Using transcripts of all students who had enrolled in selected courses targeted as needing prerequisites, a random sample was obtained, tabulated, and analyzed. The study…

There have been broad, and effective efforts in recent years to strengthen the humanities; however, there are still many problems, questions, and disagreements--especially in the areas of standards and competencies--to be resolved. Current legislative and board attention to standards provides an impetus for a serious review of current practices to…

In fall 1985, a computerized prerequisite checking system was implemented in the San Jose/Evergreen Community College District (SJ/ECCD) featuring an informational mode, which provides information about whether a student meets a prerequisite, and a lock-out mode, which prevents a student from registering for classes if prerequisites are not met.…

By measuring the performance of 62 students enrolled in a community college introductory algebra course, this study challenges the generally accepted assumption among mathematics instructors that mastery of arithmetic is necessary for the learning of algebra. Study subjects were 35% male, 74% Hispanic, 16% Black, 8% white, and 2% other. A pretest,…

Describes a study to determine the effectiveness of a new policy at Michigan's Muskegon Community College mandating prerequisite courses for all general education (GE) courses. Compares outcomes for students who met prerequisites to those who did not but took GE courses anyway. Finds that qualified students did significantly better. (AJL)