A literature review on the effectiveness of developmental studies programs is presented, along with the results of a survey of developmental studies programs at predominantly white and predominantly black colleges in the southeast. Information is also provided on a survey of black college athletes' views of their academic environment. A total of…

In 1974, the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia created the developmental studies program in response to a growing number of entering freshmen who were inadequately prepared for curricula assuming mastery of the basic skills. Early attempts to evaluate developmental programs in Georgia simply used standard survey techniques to…

The Survival Skills Center described in this report operates at Columbia College, CA, to provide individualized instruction in basic reading, writing, and math skills using a series of modules which focus on problems commonly encountered in everyday life. After discussing the need for such instruction among nontraditional students, the paper…

Describes a basic reading course designed to meet the specific needs of the weakest basic writers enrolled in a large midwestern university with an open admissions policy. Shows how the developmental course improved the students' reading comprehension so they could better understand the texts they would encounter in college courses. (SKC)

Discusses the importance of academic support services in ensuring the effectiveness of developmental programs. Describes the Learning Assistance Support System developed in Washington's community college system and Luzerne County Community College's Institute for Developmental Educational Activities. (DMM)

Analyzes the effect of written assignments on improvement of reading. Describes a study conducted with 40 first-quarter college freshmen in a developmental reading program in which one group had written assignments and the other had none. Concludes that writing has a positive influence on reading. (JG)

Identifies problems resulting from the inability to spell correctly. Assesses current writing programs as inadequate for remedying spelling deficiencies. Recommends individualized instruction to meet learners' needs. Confirms the importance of visualization to spelling ability, examining the relationship between field dependence-independence and…

Takes the position that developmental, or remedial, education is appropriate in the community college and that speech communication instruction is a vital part of such a program. (PD)

Students successful in developmental coursework later do as well or better than students not needing developmental courses. This study examined the performance of 3,873 students new to a college for the fall 1997 semester through the spring 2001 semester. Analysis of variance and logistic regression were used to tease out effects of level of…

This document discusses the enrollment of Northern Virginia Community College (NVCC) students in developmental English, developmental math, and English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) courses. Students examined were first-time students, transfer students, continuing students, and returning students. Enrollment statistics and demographic data from fall…

This collection of essays is intended to spark thoughtful discussion about future directions for developmental education. The essays grew out of a conversation among 21 local, regional, and national leaders in the field of developmental education at the "First Intentional Meeting on Future Directions in Developmental Education," held in October,…

This brief report uses tables and narrative to summarize data on remedial education provided in higher education institutions, including the percentage of institutions offering remedial courses and the percentage of freshmen who enroll in these courses. The data indicate that: (1) the percentage of freshmen enrolled in remedial courses and the…

Mercy College (Ohio) has expanded its services for at-risk students, due to the fact that many of these students are not functioning at college level in writing, math, and reading. The hope of attaining a college education among at-risk students is high, and it is important that they receive help in their areas of need. To help accomplish this…

The roster of developmental programs available to students in community colleges is expanding, though remedial education itself does remain a marginal aspect of higher education. The programs are usually under-funded, segregated from "regular" offerings, and taught by part-timers. This report suggests that the colleges are sending signals that…

This is a qualitative study of four women receiving assistance through the Trade Readjustment Act (TRA) and who were enrolled in a developmental writing course. The TRA provides money to displaced workers for the purposes of retraining them to reenter the workforce. The four women in the study were nontraditional students and displaced garment…