This article provides the first causal evidence of a system-wide corequisite reform in Tennessee, which mainstreams underprepared students into college-level courses with concurrent support. Using regression discontinuity and difference-in-regression-discontinuity designs, we find that, for those on the margin of college level, students placed…

Two-year institutions are increasingly jammed with students who lack academic readiness--a command of those basic skills that will help them find employment in the workplace or continue on to four-year institutions. That's where remedial--or developmental--classes come into the picture. Community colleges are investing heavily in remedial programs…

A description is presented of the activities and outcomes of a project designed to provide training that would enhance the efforts of remedial educators to serve learning disabled students on campus. Introductory sections provide background on the increase of learning disabilities at community colleges, review the evidence of the need for the…

As a supplement to the Los Rios Community College District Master Plan, this paper provides a model for student diagnosis within the district's instructional programs. The report first identifies three diagnostic areas: determination of the remedial instruction needed by students, identification of their preferred learning styles, and survey of…

Prepared by the Developmental Skills Committee at Fresno City College (FCC), this report proposes a program of skills instruction and services for underprepared students. Following a historical background, the report defines the underprepared student and outlines the assumptions about budget, course sequencing, and responsibility for curriculum…

This report discusses assessment and placement policies for developmental education in the Massachusetts Community College System. Since 1989, officials at community colleges across the state have implemented a series of assessment practices in reading, writing, and mathematics to assure correct placement for incoming first-year students. To…

The purpose of this investigation was to compare two different methodological techniques of a biology preparatory course in order to determine which curriculum's methodologies were most effective in preparing biology students for follow-up biology courses as measured by course grades. One was based upon laboratory hands-on experiences and the…

Argues that basic writing students need incremental assignment sequences to experience success in writing and to develop their abilities to write about abstract concepts. Describes a four-part sequence of writing assignments moving from observing to narrowing to generalizing to theorizing. (RS)

The GO Project was created at Sacramento City College (SCC) to help underprepared students achieve success in a transfer-level sociology course, while improving their reading, writing, and study skills. Throughout the fall semester, students in the GO Project engaged in reading, essay writing, and study skills practice which focused on the…

In 1988, a study was conducted to examine student assessment and related remedial/developmental programs in Michigan's 29 community colleges. Administrators or instructors with direct responsibility for developmental education programs were surveyed regarding the existence of an institutional definition of and mission statement for remedial…

Students enrolled in college remedial English courses typically profit little from them. Improved instruction through the use of innovative teaching techniques was viewed as a possible solution to the problem. Following a review of pertinent learning theory, some examples of current innovative ideas and techniques aimed at improving instruction…

In an effort to help basic skills students learn the skills they need to survive in college-level studies and remediate critical areas as quickly as possible, many community colleges have overlooked the value of other studies and the more general literacy that is essential to any education. By rushing to comply with students' utilitarian goals,…

A perennial challenge for developmental educators is to upgrade students' skills over many years without losing their own sense of professional dedication and momentum. Two instructional techniques that can be of use to developmental educators in meeting this challenge are interactive errands and dialogue journals. These activities enable students…

Robert Nash responds to questions concerning his personal and professional background, the Simultaneous Multisensory Instructional Procedure for Teaching the Complete Sound Structure of the Language, problems associated with dyslexia, the social/emotional impact of learning disabilities, and the University of Wisconsin's Project Success for…

This report describes the developmental education program at Jefferson Davis Community College (JDCC) (Alabama). Approximately 59% of JDCC's student population must take pre-college, or developmental, courses in math, reading, English, and study skills. JDCC's developmental program includes computer-assisted instruction (CAI) in reading, math, and…