In this autoethnographically-infused natural history of discourse (NHD) (Silverstein and Urban, 1996; Slembrouck, 2001), I use methods from critical discourse studies (CDS) to trace 10 years of changes in "remediation" discourses within a corpus of texts associated with Missouri HB 1042, a piece of legislation passed in 2012 that…

This digest offers community college academic leaders a synopsis of the key components necessary for building a successful developmental education instructional framework. Specific emphasis is placed on program structure, faculty, and program improvement. Developmental education is defined as "courses or services provided for the purpose of…

This digest discusses two specific computer-aided instruction systems used in two-year colleges in the United States and Canada, and addresses critical points regarding system implementation in remedial education programs. As developed in the Nova Scotia Community College System in Canada, the INVEST computer system provides literacy-based…

This memorandum reviews the implementation of new, state-mandated placement criteria at Florida's Miami-Dade Community College (MDCC). The first section focuses on placement criteria for degree-seeking students, indicating that MDCC uses scores on the Florida College Entry-Level Placement Test for making placement decisions in reading, writing,…

In response to the increased need for remediation, the Illinois Community College Board conducted a study examining the scope, cost, structure, outcomes, and policies of the remedial/developmental education in the Illinois Community College System. Findings indicated an increase in enrollment in remedial/developmental coursework, with math…

The "open-door" policy, educational opportunity programs, and financial aid to high-risk students are implicit promises that the community college will provide successful learning experiences for all students. Within this framework of concerns and promises, the Milwaukee Area Technical College designed and offered a developmental program…

Laredo Junior College (LJC) is a comprehensive community college in Texas, serving a student population that is 93% Hispanic and 61% female. In response to evidence that LJC was not adequately preparing students with the basic and academic skills needed to transfer, LJC expanded and restructured its assessment, placement, and remediation programs.…

In 1995, Prince George's Community College made at-risk student retention an institutional priority. Studies conducted that year found that 70% of new students tested for placement needed remediation in at least one area, and that the pass rate in developmental mathematics was approximately 50%. A two-part intervention program was initiated to…

This report begins with a brief history of the City University of New York (CUNY), including the institution of its "Open Admissions Policy," and the end to free tuition. During the late 70's and early 80's, CUNY began to bring order to the chaos of remedial experiments brought on by open admissions. Assessment tests in reading, writing,…

This document consists of the project reports for the first two program years of Project LEEWAY: Steps to Success, a program at Lee College (Baytown, Texas) designed to promote and facilitate access to vocational-technical education and training, especially for women in nontraditional careers. The 1993-94 report discusses the development of this…

The Testing and Assessment Department of Dawson Technical Institute (Illinois) determined that approximately 25-30 percent of the students taking the entrance Test of Adult Basic Education do not meet the academic level required to start a training program. A competency-based adult reading and math program was developed, and the decision was made…

In 1998, Rio Salado College in Tempe, Arizona, established a transition program to help students in General Educational Development (GED) test preparation and English-for-Speakers-of-Other-Languages (ESOL) classes make a successful transition to community college. As of the end of the transition program's second year, it had developed into an…