Reviews arguments for and against the continuation of remedial programs in postsecondary education. Highlights examples of successful remedial programs, offering evidence of positive outcomes in reduced attrition and increased preparation for college-level work. (DMM)

This study of 55 elementary-level general, special, and remedial education teachers found no intergroup differences in perceptions of the amount or quality of assistance available for mainstreamed students with mild handicaps, or in perceived effectiveness or overall acceptability of eight instructional strategies and 11 social behavior…

Analyzes factors internal to the tutor and tutee (i.e., cognition, metacognition, and affect) and external to them (e.g., teacher/tutor background knowledge, educational environment, content to be learned, socioeconomic status, family background, and cultural forces) that influence the tutoring process. Suggests a theoretical framework for…

Describes the design and implementation of a developmental English course for community college students still not performing at college level after a semester of remedial work. Discusses the theoretical background of the curriculum, book selection criteria, the course reading list, and classroom activities used to increase motivation and…

Identifies five issues concerning remedial and developmental education: what is the appropriate educational level and sector for offering remediation, how to provide effective programs for diverse students, inconsistent policies and practices, to what extent placement in remedial courses should be mandatory or advisory, and whether basic skills…

Describes a follow-up study on student performance that investigated whether students' lack of success in an introductory psychology course was specific to the class or part of a general pattern of failure. Finds that 9.5% of the students did not finish the course successfully and that academic intervention did not help. Contains 14 references.…

Attempting to capture the complexity of learning on standardized state assessments severely limits student knowledge and expression. Inevitably, schools reduce the curriculum to what is covered on tests. Students control their learning. Constructivist teachers structure lessons around big ideas, value relevance, and strive to challenge students'…

Identifies traits associated with conditionally admitted students that differentiate them from the total freshmen population, establishes characteristics associated with the most and least successful students in the developmental writing classes, and then uses the findings to better serve students in all components of the developmental program.…

In Manitoba, the Literacy Groups Project provides evidence that struggling second-graders can attain average grade-cohort reading levels through a small-group pull-out program if certain criteria are met: assigning students to groups according to a narrow range of reading levels, and finding materials to support teacher efforts in the small-group…

Compares outcomes in developmental mathematics classes that used lectures with classes that utilized computer-mediated instruction. Finds that the results showed no significant differences on common exams. States that course satisfaction levels, however, were higher in computer-mediated classes, partly because students wanted greater control over…

This study examined a reading tutoring program for struggling adolescent readers. The major objectives of the tutoring program were to help struggling adolescent readers develop an understanding of the strategic nature of reading and to encourage these reluctant readers to take control of their reading. The results of the study hold implications…

Tribal colleges and universities (TCUs) are unique institutions of postsecondary education. They serve specific Native American communities that have unique social and cultural ways of relating to each other, while they also provide valuable links to the mainstream society. In arguably the richest nation in the world, many Native Americans remain…

This monograph describes Supplemental Instruction, a student assistance program designed to improve the academic success of college freshmen based on the idea that if students are not being successful in courses then perhaps colleges should change the way courses are taught. Supplemental Instruction (SI) utilizes regularly scheduled, out-of-class,…

The purpose of this study was to examine the success of an alternate admission option for academically underprepared students. This study compared relevant enrollment, academic, and graduation data at various critical points in the academic careers of alternate admission option students with data from students who entered the college through…

Supplemental Instruction (SI) has been firmly established as a tool for helping college students succeed in beginning writing courses. The SI model is based on a Piagetian-constructivist theoretical framework, which holds that learning is an active process in which learners "construct" their own knowledge, making it an essential part of…