Education Commons^™

Discourses Of Developmental English Education: Reframing Policy Debates, Aaron R. Tolbert

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

According to the National Educational Longitudinal Study, an estimated 28% of academically underprepared students who take developmental courses (preparatory, not credit-bearing) graduate within 8.5 years (Attewell, Lavin, Domina, & Levey, 2006), far below the national average graduation rate of near 60% of students for all postsecondary institutions (USDE, 2016). Given these statistics, some conclude that developmental education itself contributes to the low graduation rate of developmental students (Bailey, Jaggars, & Jenkins, 2015). Indeed, the causes of this attainment gap are the focus of vigorous debates by scholars from numerous disciplines, defining whether the problems exist within the organizational structure and …

Implications Of Acceleration On Student Success Course Curriculum: A Comparison Of Accelerated And Traditional Course Modalities, Alice L. Picardo

Theses and Dissertations

Many individuals enter community colleges with high expectations of improving skills, yet are underprepared for the demands of college. Student success courses and acceleration are promising interventions created to improve success rates in developmental education, however, research on accelerated student success courses is virtually non-existent. This explanatory, sequential mixed methods study compared accelerated and traditional student success courses on the attainment of course learning outcomes, term grade point average and retention from fall to spring, while participants' motivation and use of learning strategies were analyzed in both strands. Students' experiences were also analyzed. Findings indicate 1) that the nature of …

Impact Of The Accelerate You! Instructional Model On Student Success, Tyra F. Henderson

Murray State Theses and Dissertations

This study examines a multi-faceted instructional model used in Applied Technologies programs at a medium size community college. The model accelerates students who have not met placement test benchmarks into college level math with the support multiple strategies utilized in the model, specifically team teaching in the technical and math courses, a learning community structure, weekly tutoring, and a first year experience course. This study examined the impact of the instructional model on student success, specifically course grades and semester-to-semester persistence, and on students’ personal qualities, specifically mindset, grit, and study skills self-efficacy. Mixed methods research design examined statistical significance …

Developmental Education Redesign: An Analysis Of Cooling Out In A Community College Mathematics Assessment Preparation Program, Megan Rector

Higher Education: Doctoral Research Projects

Developmental education is a critical issue in higher education, particularly within community colleges. Each year, thousands of students enroll in community colleges, yet many are unprepared for college-level work. These students are often required to enroll in developmental courses before they can enroll in college-level courses, and these courses are often a barrier to student success. In recent years, a number of community college systems across the United States have redesigned their developmental education programs in an attempt to improve student outcomes.

This project examines one such statewide redesign that uses a qualitative case study analysis to apply Burton Clark’s …