This report is the culmination of a six-part series designed to provide greater insight into remediation at Maryland postsecondary institutions. Parts 1 through 4 of the research series on remediation at Maryland colleges and universities have evaluated a number of issues. Beginning with defining what remediation is and why it matters (Part 1,…

For two decades, state financing of higher education has been on the decline and the situation has exacerbated since the onset of the economic recession, where the US state systems have resorted to a substantial cut of funding for higher education. Faced with the challenges of limited resources for financial pressure and an increasing demand,…

Remedial courses have become a fixture on college and university campuses across the nation with nearly all public institutions offering at least one remedial course and nearly one quarter of first-year students requiring remediation (USDE, NCES, 2003). In the California State University System, the context for this study, the proportion of…

Many Pennsylvania colleges and universities require that teacher candidates pass a standardized assessment in order to gain formal entry in to their education programs. Standardized tests are also required for Level I teacher certification within Pennsylvania. The initial assessment required of all Pennsylvania preservice teachers for…

A significant challenge in higher education is to narrow the educational attainment gap between academically prepared and unprepared students. To this end, developmental or remedial education is intended to improve the academic skills and knowledge of students who are unprepared for undergraduate coursework, particularly in the areas of…

An alarming 30 percent of college freshmen in the nation are considered unprepared for college coursework and assigned to remedial education upon entry. Recent studies have explored the effects of remediation on college outcomes using rigorous quasi-experimental designs, but the results of these studies are inconclusive and the designs typically…

The differences between two groups of students (17 Blacks and 23 Whites) were examined on the basis of participation and nonparticipation in a special studies program designed primarily to meet the needs of minority and disadvantaged students. Participating students met with more academic success than nonparticipating, irrespective of race.…

This issue of "The Progress of Education Reform" will address the following three questions: (1) What are the challenges that developmental education programs face that affect their success? (2) Are developmental education programs an effective strategy for increasing college attainment rates? and (3) How can state policy improve the…

Trained consultants (N=14) implemented two conditions of client-centered consultation and a control condition with 42 student teachers. The dependent measures were skills in describing classroom problems and generating appropriate remedial plans. Both conditions were effective in improving problem identification skills. Consultation with…

This paper describes a successful learning community and curricular experiments with basic writing implemented on a college campus as an example of curricular structures that enable faculty and staff to work together to address students' individual needs. The paper begins by discussing learning communities as effective and flexible institutional…

Argues that the evaluation of a basic writing program can demonstrate a program's effectiveness and can be useful in opening up a dialog among the instructors. Describes an evaluation program that combines a variety of writing assessments (essays, a multiple-choice editing test, and portfolios assessment) that provide a comprehensive examination…

Explores the current research on the effectiveness of remedial courses. Defines remediation in relation to developmental education, discusses the purpose of such courses, and explores the circumstances under which remedial courses succeed or fail in the accomplishment of their goals. Asserts that all students who require remediation should expect…

Reports on the need for developmental education to prepare students for success in higher education. Looks at the performance of developmental students and their characteristics. Describes the role community and technical colleges play as providers of developmental education, characteristics of a successful developmental program, and ways to…

Reports findings on the continued positive effect of remedial/developmental programs on both retention and academic performance of skills deficient students who entered both public and private higher education institutions in New Jersey. (Author/DMM)

Discusses criticisms of remedial courses and counters some with evidence from research. Describes the traditional approach to remedial-course delivery and explores alternatives, such as freshman seminars, supplemental instruction, paired courses, and critical-thinking instruction. Calls for a systematic relationship between assessment, advising,…