This paper addresses developmental education programs as mechanisms for enhancing the survival rates of disadvantaged populations in higher education. Specifically, the paper identifies and discusses the critical dimensions of effective developmental education programs, including recruitment, admissions, diagnosis and prescription, orientation,…

After the 1975 political upheaval in Indochina, many Indochinese refugees settled in the Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, area. A number of them enrolled in Harrisburg Area Community College between January, 1976, and December, 1977, primarily in developmental courses because of their lack of formal training in English. A study was conducted to…

The U.S. General Accounting Office surveyed 758 higher education institutions (of which 430 responded) to determine how much federal student financial aid is going towards payment for remedial courses courses needed by new college students to attain adequate proficiency in basic skills prior to taking college level courses. In addition, nine…

The Transition Class is an alternative model to the traditional college sequence of developmental courses. Offered as an option to prospective students before they complete the college application and financial aid procedures, the 12-week Transition Class is nongraded and free of charge. By taking the class before they fully matriculate in the…

Gainesville College (GC) in Georgia conducted a study to determine how many traditional-aged students enter the school with General Education Development (GED) certificates and how well they progress academically. Students monitored were those who received their GED at 21 years of age or younger and entered GC within 4 years of receiving the…

If community colleges are to shape their own futures, leaders must address these trends: growing public skepticism of higher education; program downsizing to cut costs; increased sectoring within state systems; refocusing of mission on the economy and workplace; demand for developmental education; demographic shifts; and anxiety about the economic…

A survey of 196 freshmen seeking to identify noncognitive variables influencing pre-college decision making, satisfaction with the freshman experience, and academic confidence found that academically underprepared students were older, went to college later, reported more satisfaction with academic advising, and were less accepting of American…

This analysis of postsecondary student preparedness and remedial education needs attending Florida community colleges focuses on two cohorts: 125,000 first-time-enrolled community college students enrolled in a community college over a three-semester period during 1993-94 and a cohort of over 18,000 public high school graduates (1994) enrolled in…

The Commanding English Program at the University of Minnesota is designed to meet the educational and social needs of academically underprepared students whose native language is not English. Most of the students in this population are Southeast Asian refugees with interrupted education who have finished high school in the United States. The…

Jersey City State College (New Jersey) developed a local evaluation model to assess all salient aspects of the institution's basic skills program. The college's Academic Foundations Program was implemented to address the needs of urban educationally disadvantaged students. It includes faculty and staff development and research, freshman course…

This report responds to the California Legislature's request for an assessment of the impact of intersegmental programs designed to enhance student preparation for college, particularly those students historically underrepresented in postsecondary education. The report focuses on the effectiveness of each program and its components and the extent…

A statistical profile is provided of the 16 Oregon community colleges and their services for the academic year 1988-89. First, a directory is presented of the address, phone number, and chief administrative officer of each college. The next section focuses on the colleges' students, providing tables on full-time equivalent (FTE) enrollment by…

Upon entry to New River Community College (NRCC), placement tests are administered to students enrolling in curricula and to students enrolling in English and mathematics classes. Based on preestablished cutoff scores on the placement tests, students are advised by counselors to take appropriate courses. In 1990, NRCC tracked students from…

A series of studies were conducted at Milwaukee Area Technical College (MATC) to determine the relationship of basic skills assessment test scores, sex, and race to student success for the following groups of fall 1985 students: 229 developmental studies (Crossover Program); 501 associate degree level students; 66 business and graphic arts…

The Goal Center Plan at Donnelly College, Kansas City, which is designed to provide high-risk students, usually adults, with the basic skills, study habits, and attitudes to succeed in regular courses, is described. Based on placement tests, high-risk students are encouraged to take the following three-credit courses: essentials of English,…