Students identified as unprepared for college work face considerable barriers to performance and college completion. To improve underprepared student outcomes, community colleges where most underprepared students enroll are using different models of developmental education. A recently implemented model in mathematics is a corequisite course…

Through a series of four papers, this dissertation investigates developmental mathematics students' experiences with relearning, or the experience of learning about content one has already tried to learn in a previous mathematics course. Developmental math courses typically focus on K-12 algebra, and are required for graduation but notorious for…

This article explores the limitations of technology-focused teaching and online learning in 'widening participation' tertiary preparation programs, from the perspective of non-traditional university students, and in their own words. Specifically, the article draws on data derived from the "Life Literacies" academic preparation and action…

In a 2008 working paper published by the U.S. Agency for International Development, the authors lamented that, despite billions of dollars in investment in global education initiatives, access to education had been improved in targeted areas, but the return on investment with regards to learning outcomes was "much less impressive"…

State community college systems and their two-year colleges have spent the 2010s reexamining and redesigning decades-old developmental education tracks to ensure students get what they need--and only what they need--with an eye toward moving them more quickly into college-level courses and, eventually, the degree or certificate they want.…

This paper characterizes the engagement of two groups of students in a Precalculus course at a four-year public university. A set of "Multiple Solutions Activities" was designed for the course to expose groups of students to alternative solution methods, allowing instructors to explicitly negotiate productive norms to foster students'…

"Remedial Trap." "Bridge to Nowhere." "Completion Divide." Such language used to describe the field of Developmental Education (DE), especially by those outside the field, is undeniably deficit oriented. In this manuscript, we initiate a dialog that critiques such portrayals of DE, particularly those that appear in…

Sometimes referred to as corequisite remediation, corequisite support refers to college-level coursework that integrates additional support for students, usually in the form of an academic support class. This resource provides data on whether or not corequisite support is addressed, and if so, if it is required or allowed. [View the full…

The purpose of this study was to identify differences in metacognitive and self-regulated learning strategies used by students in a self-paced, computer-based developmental mathematics program (DMP) and how these strategies accounted for differences in persistence and performance observed among the students. Five research questions guided the…

In this study, I explore college students' perception of their experiences in developmental reading courses, whether they feel stigma, and if said stigma discourages them from engaging in behaviors that promote retention and lead to completion. I hope the research reveals how feelings of stigma relate to help-seeking behavior among college…

As online education gains popularity among both learners and postsecondary institutions, there is a movement toward identifying ways to promote student success. Over half of all higher education institutions offer online classes, due in part to the ease of offering and scheduling (Hoffman, 2006); educators seek ways to identify any demographic or…

This research attempted to determine whether faculty instructors' employment status played a role in the success of students who are not college ready. The purpose of this study was to determine whether developmental English faculty instructors' employment status had an effect on grades in a freshman composition course (English 101) among…

The purpose of this qualitative descriptive study was to describe how first-year college students describe the academic benefits and effectiveness of participating in a developmental education program in preparing them for academic success. The theoretical frameworks supporting this study were Bandura's theory of self-efficacy and Tinto's theory…

This journal-ready dissertation contains three articles related to the developmental mathematics redesign at Chandler-Gilbert Community College (CGCC). The first article covers background information related to the Maricopa Community College District (MCCCD) sponsored initiative from Fall 2011 through implementation at CGCC in Fall 2017. The…

Efforts to strengthen the pipeline to college degree completion have focused on improving college access and providing academic, social, and financial supports to students post-enrollment. This paper explores one facet of postsecondary education that has served as a barrier to both college access and success--developmental education--which has…