This report presents the findings of a Fast Response Survey System (FRSS) survey of 2,874 colleges on remedial/developmental programs offered during fall 1989. The survey provides national estimates on the following factors: institutions that offered remedial courses; reading, writing, and mathematics remedial courses offered; students enrolled in…

In 1987, a study was conducted to investigate the extent to which demographic, institutional, and assessment factors affected access to college-level courses for underrepresented students (i.e., Blacks, Hispanics, Native Americans, and persons with disabilities). Using stepwise discriminant function analyses and descriptive statistics, the study…

An evaluation is presented of the remedial programs in each of New Jersey's 32 public colleges and universities. The academic outcome of full-time students entering in fall 1984 is tracked over four semesters. This analysis combines measures of the colleges' administrative efficiency in testing and enrolling students in needed remedial courses,…

This report offers details of the results of basic skills testing of the entering freshman class in New Jersey's public colleges. Levels of proficiency in verbal skills, computation, and elementary algebra are estimated from performance on the New Jersey College Basic Skills Placement Test. For the 48,791 students tested in the fall of 1989, 24%…

This report synthesizes the findings of seven studies of instructional services provided in the State of Washington to at-risk students and describes the current state of the art in the education of those special needs children. The report answers the following five questions: (1) Who are the special needs children in Washington's schools? (2)…

The Introductory Writing Programs developed for freshman students at Northeastern University are described in this document. The introduction outlines the programs' philosophy, which is based on the notion that all writers are developing writers regardless of their ability. The second section looks at how students are placed in either Freshman…

This guide is intended to help districts and schools think about how their programs for educationally deprived children are designed and how they can be improved. In view of new Chapter 1 legislation (P.L. 100-297), which places strong emphasis on program improvement to disadvantaged students, practitioners need to internalize elements of new…

A "Reading Club" approach at Liberty University (Virginia) has been implemented to avoid the stigma that may be associated with elementary and junior high school students receiving remedial reading instruction. Students in grades K-8 from the local schools come to the university campus to be tutored in reading. Elementary education…

This report presents program evaluation findings on the 1984-85 Chapter 1 project in the Dade County (Florida) School District. The project sought to raise the reading, mathematics and language performance levels of low achieving students at schools with high concentrations of children from low income families. Achievement was assessed by score…

In New York State the Governor's Plan under the Job Training Partnership Act requires that the State Education Department allocate its Title IIA funds among three general program areas for local services: (1) basic skills preparation; (2) school to work transition; and (3) firm specific training. The Plan also provides for coordination of…

This document presents brief descriptions of successful approaches that states, local school districts, and individual schools have taken to incorporate and/or expand the teaching of basic competencies. Two presentations made at the Southern Regional Education Board's meeting on "Strengthening the Academic Preparation of Vocational Students"…

Two main points should be noted concerning strategies recommended for teaching basic writing students. First, teachers can develop only those strategies that are consonant with their own personalities and that will enable students to develop their own writing strategies. Second, whatever strategies are selected should lead students beyond the…

Educational effects of migrant student mobility are reviewed and issues and recommendations for educational continuity are offered for discussion by policymakers. Considerations for discussion of mobility are presented: continuity of age-grade level progression and education/social/health services; agency responsibility; communication…

The "open-door" policy, educational opportunity programs, and financial aid to high-risk students are implicit promises that the community college will provide successful learning experiences for all students. Within this framework of concerns and promises, the Milwaukee Area Technical College designed and offered a developmental program…

Addressing the problems of the educationally disadvantaged requires specifically focused educational reforms. This paper: (1) describes the population of disadvantaged students in terms of its composition, growth, and educational performance; (2) reviews the dire consequences of ignoring the educational needs of these students; (3) discusses the…