This paper reviews systematic research findings on the effectiveness of various interventions designed to help at-risk students remain in college. It shows how changes in federal policy and public attitudes since the mid-1960s have opened up higher education to women, minorities, and nontraditional students and also shifted the "center of gravity"…

Identifies ways in which remedial/developmental programs are like and unlike other academic programs for evaluation purposes. Offers a four-stage evaluation model representing four different levels of activity and points at which evaluation can be conducted. (DMM)

This evaluation of the Education Consolidation and Improvement Act (ECIA) Chapter 1 programs in the 16 participating schools and camps of the California Youth Authority presents findings for the year 1983-84. The students enrolled in the program were severely academically disadvantaged teenagers (reading and mathematics abilities five or more…

Students can succeed in remedial programs if such programs are well-planned and systematic, say these writers, who offer some guidelines. (Author/JM)

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)

Makes a distinction between developmental and remedial programs and suggests reasons for the difficulty in evaluating these programs. Identifies basic limitations in educational research, factors found in successful programs, questions to be considered in selecting and formulating the evaluation design, and five useful educational research…

Describes several models for the design, evaluation, and delivery of developmental programs, including the Expanded Individualized Prescriptive Instruction system (which includes placement, counseling, and intervention phases), and the Developmental Pyramid Model (which includes diagnosis, prescription, evaluation, and advising/tutoring). (DMM)

This topical synthesis addresses the problematic issue of whether the techniques, processes, and procedures that generally result in effective, high-quality education will also achieve results with at-risk youth. After an extended introduction that raises this question, the key characteristics of effective schools are specified as leadership, a…

A description is provided of a pilot study conducted at Butte College to develop and test evaluation procedures for the college's remedial and developmental reading, English, and math programs. Part I of the report includes five sections: (1) a description of the remedial reading, English, and mathematics programs as they existed at Butte College…

Describes a program to help students succeed in developmental mathematics courses, such as arithmetic, elementary algebra, and intermediate algebra. Provides information on program evaluation and how the program is funded. (YP)

Analyzes factors internal to the tutor and tutee (i.e., cognition, metacognition, and affect) and external to them (e.g., teacher/tutor background knowledge, educational environment, content to be learned, socioeconomic status, family background, and cultural forces) that influence the tutoring process. Suggests a theoretical framework for…

This collection of essays focuses on various aspects of research and instruction related to developmental education. The collection includes: (1) "Evaluating Instructional Software for Developmental Education," by Curtis Miles, which includes information on types of microcomputer software, developmental student characteristics,…

The Lafayette Parish Compensatory/Remedial Program for 1985-86 involved remedial teachers in 31 schools serving 1,022 students in grades 2 through 6 who had previously failed the state Basic Skills Test (BST). A minimum of 70 hours instruction was provided to the children in the area(s) in which each was deficient. Focus was on assessing the…

The Army's Basic Skills Education Program (BSEP) was studied to consider whether it was properly designed to determine the basic skills needed in Army jobs and to be effectively implemented. Information and reports on BSEP were reviewed, and three major commands were selected for evaluation. In designing the program, the Army did not identify the…

In 1986, a study of remedial programs in Texas community colleges was conducted to determine the range of current practices and to assess the outcomes achieved. Each campus was sent a detailed self-study guide focusing on policies and practices related to assessment and placement, descriptive and evaluative information, policies related to course…