Explores the realities of change facing a successful junior college which must become a regional four-year university. Identifies and discusses (in a response by William G. White Jr.) the problems and issues relative to the developmental program at Evans County Junior College on the eve of its conversion to regional university--Jan Norton…

Advocates the use of single-subject experimental design as a method of evaluation in a language arts component of a developmental education program. Measures student outcomes of literacy growth as a part of instruction. The rate and degree of growth varied between individuals, indicating which students benefited most from specific instructional…

Explores why some education advocates say GEAR UP (Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs), which targets primarily middle school students, and TRIO serve different purposes and are both worthy of support, while others question whether there is really a need for both programs. Includes a sidebar detailing each program.…

This paper investigates which students delay taking a required developmental mathematics course and the impact of delay on student performance in introductory microeconomics. Analysis of a sample of 1462 students at a large Midwestern university revealed that, although developmental-level mathematics students did not reach the same level of…

Developmental learning community programs that are respectful of students' circumstances, supportive of their educational aims, and thoughtful about the purpose of education can be extremely effective in helping developmental students achieve their educational goals.

In recent years, community colleges have increasingly taken on the task of providing remedial education to its students. For policymakers and educators, understanding why remediation is on the increase is a frustrating problem made so by the complexity of the causes behind it. Are students graduating from high school less prepared or are academic…

In this study, we examine the role of academic preparation in the transition from community colleges to four-year institutions. We address two specific questions: To what extent do academically unprepared students transfer to four-year institutions? And, can positive experiences in community colleges diminish the role of inadequate academic…

This qualitative case study considers factors such as difficulty of understanding mathematics and poor mathematics practicing strategy under academic factors and lack of family support under social factors as those that contribute to the failure. Many students entering community college have deficiencies in mathematics background and are required…

Education Resource Centers (ERCs) were established by the Simon Youth Foundation (SYF) as a means of providing economic opportunities and life choices for youth considered at risk through focused programs and initiatives with public school partners. In the current academic year there are 21 ERCs operating primarily in Simon Property Group (SPG)…

Described as "tough love," Louisiana State University at Eunice's "Pathways to Success" program experienced success in its first two years by implementing mandatory placement, attendance, tutoring, and advising policies. Selected student successes and retention data are discussed, along with policies and some practical advice…

Although the WebQuest has been around for several years, it appears that not many educators are aware of it, or know how to use it. Thus, it is important to not only expose developmental educators to the use of this strategy, but also to help them realize how they can easily implement it into their curriculum. The use of a Webquest integrates…

Youth with disabilities from culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) backgrounds are at high risk for a number of negative postschool outcomes including high unemployment, low wages, and limited access to postsecondary education and training. Cultural and linguistic differences may negatively impact transition planning for these youth as they…

The senior-year experience represents a critical period as students prepare to make the transition from their familiar academic surroundings to post-college life. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of a professional development curricular strand that has been infused across an undergraduate curriculum. This curricular…

The purpose of this workbook is to help youth to take the lead in planning for their adult lives. The workbook shares important information, encourages youth to begin thinking about life after high school, and offers ideas they can use to plan routes to reach their goals. This is not a workbook parents, educators or others should hand to young…

This article, the second in a three-part series, outlines the qualitative research design and findings. The qualitative study was conducted three to five years after students completed their developmental mathematics course work at a large Midwest public university. The purpose was to collect students' points of view regarding what, if any,…