Addresses the problems related to research design and the improper interpretation of survey results at the institutional level. Analyzes the validity of student opinion surveys. Discusses the importance of response rates. Encourages developmental educators to question results of surveys when outcomes are contrary to the findings of research…

Discusses criticisms of remedial courses and counters some with evidence from research. Describes the traditional approach to remedial-course delivery and explores alternatives, such as freshman seminars, supplemental instruction, paired courses, and critical-thinking instruction. Calls for a systematic relationship between assessment, advising,…

Depicts technology (both computers and television) as a new presence in the classroom. Calls for not simply replacing older teaching methods, but designing a new paradigm that utilizes computer assisted instruction as the basis for an "interactive multiplicity" of learning techniques. (SJL)

Describes a follow-up survey of United States developmental reading programs. Analyzes data and compares them with findings from the previous decade to draw implications for the future of college developmental reading. States that developmental education is dependent on innovative teaching and learning strategies and on an increase in the…

Describes an instructional process used in a college developmental reading class (as well as with upper-level classes) that promotes the development of active, engaged readers who constructed meaning through social interaction with fellow classmates. Describes how this strategy was applied to segments of "Night" by Elie Wiesel. (SR)

Describes early intervention programs designed to encourage later college attendance. The programs provide disadvantaged students with the opportunity to develop skills, knowledge, confidence, aspirations, and overall preparedness for college early enough in their schooling to influence their ultimate educational attainment levels. Discusses…

Asserts that college developmental reading students often start out as passive learners. Describes a college reading lab where students practice active, self-directed, independent learning. States that when students are exposed to self-regulation and metacognition, they learn to manage their own learning activities and an attitude of success can…

Community college faculty who teach developmental English classes face numerous pedagogical challenges. Graduate programs, in-service training, and professional association activities help prepare faculty for these challenges, but additional support is needed.

The changing demographic and economic structures in the United States dictate that policy makers at the federal, state, and organizational levels of education pay closer attention to college recruitment and enrollment trends. These trends point to the need for an aggressive approach to moving the educational system into the 21st century by…

Higher education authorities are embracing the latest movement in education known as "P-16." Its proponents argue that colleges have operated too long as a separate realm from America's public schools. As a result, many high school graduates are not properly prepared for college, despite the unrelenting national push in public schools for rigorous…

The purpose of this case study was to describe the role of teacher knowledge in the instructional methods of a community college developmental literacy instructor and determine in what ways that knowledge may have impacted the perceptions of the student participants regarding their authority over their academic progress in the class. Therefore,…

The Maine Department of Education (MDOE) is at the forefront of national efforts to align high school curriculum to college and career readiness standards. Embarking on a mission it calls A Personal Journey for Next Generation Learners, Maine has employed several key strategies to ensure all of its students graduate from high school with the…

This report provides system-level summary highlights of pre-college course-taking behavior of high school graduates who attended a community or technical college in the year following graduation, and of those who delayed enrollment at the college for one or two years after high school graduation. The report contains information on these enrollment…

The purpose of this study was to explore the engagement levels among entering and returning Hispanic community college students. This study provides needed data focused specifically on Hispanic student engagement. Limited data exist on the persistence of community college students in general, and Hispanic students in particular. The data were…

The purpose of this study, funded by Jobs for the Future through a grant to the Massachusetts Community Colleges Executive Office, was to: (1) provide an update on the status of developmental education within Massachusetts community colleges; (2) shed light on the alignment between research-based best practices to advance success among…