This study examined the effect on pass rates from one community college after removing developmental English prerequisites on non-English credit-bearing courses in Fall 2020. This mixed methods quasi-experimental research evaluated whether a developmental English prerequisite is necessary for completion of credit-bearing courses and identified…

Recent research on entering college student assessment instruments and placement practices has been critical. Critics suggest that commonly used assessment instruments are inaccurate, misused, and lack predictive validity. This article describes valid criticisms and appropriate uses of assessment instruments. It also lists challenges and provides…

Two-year colleges provide access and opportunity for students with various academic backgrounds to pursue a post-secondary education. While two-year colleges take pride in admitting any student with a high school diploma or equivalent, in recent years colleges have been under scrutiny for low completion and graduation rates. Particular attention…

Developmental education has been in the hot seat for several decades with its critics calling for reform and its practitioners asserting its effectiveness given time. Wedged in the middle of this highly debated topic are the students who place into developmental education; students who should have a voice in the debate. This practitioner action…

Developmental education reform has shown promising evidence toward improving short-term outcomes, yet questions remain about whether these early gains contribute momentum toward mid-term and longer-term postsecondary success. In 2014, Florida implemented one of the nation's most comprehensive developmental education reforms. Many students became…

Sometimes referred to as corequisite remediation, corequisite support refers to college-level coursework that integrates additional support for students, usually in the form of an academic support class. This resource provides data on whether or not corequisite support is addressed, and if so, if it is required or allowed. [View the full…

Twenty-six states or systems have authorized the use of innovative developmental education instructional methods and interventions. This resource provides data on the use of instructional methods, and which ones are used or allowed per state. [View the full "50-State Comparison: Developmental Education Policies" here:…

This paper presents a framework for educators, administrators, and researchers to assess distinct facets of developmental education programs. The researchers review the literature on best practices in developmental education with regards to program cost, program structure, and student placement procedures. This paper also identifies seven model…

Developmental education reform has shown promising evidence toward improving short-term outcomes, yet questions remain about whether these early gains contribute momentum toward mid-term and longer-term postsecondary success. In 2014, Florida implemented one of the nation's most comprehensive developmental education reforms. Many students became…

We examine the impact of remedial and developmental courses on college students with varying levels of academic preparedness, thus focusing on a wider range of students than previous studies. Using a regression discontinuity design, we provide causal estimates of the effects of placement in different levels of remedial courses on short-,…

This chapter explores early impacts from the Florida College system's bold experiment in making placement testing and developmental education optional for most students.

Although nearly half of community college students require some type of remediation, less than one-third of the students who start in developmental education graduate within eight years (Park, Tandberg, Hu, & Hankerson, 2016). As such, there is great uncertainty regarding the effectiveness of developmental education (Ari et al., 2016; Bailey…

This resource provides data on state and systemwide developmental education assessment and placement policies. Depending on the unique higher education governance structure in each state, a state may have several policies included in this resource. System-level initiatives, programs and collaborations are excluded from this review. A few states…

Historically, colleges have used standardized testing to determine whether a student is ready for college-level work or requires developmental courses first, but this method has been criticized as inaccurate. To obtain more accurate placements, nearly three-quarters of colleges now use multiple measures assessment (MMA) systems. These systems…

This study highlights the relationship between high school grade point average (GPA), ACT Composite score, and the likelihood of developmental course placement in college. Higher high school grade point averages (HSGPA) and ACT Composite scores were associated with lower probabilities of developmental course placement. This study also highlights…