McGraw-Hill Research Foundation Paper Urges Innovative Developmental Education Programs to Improve College Student Success

NEW YORK, Sept. 13, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Strong developmental education programs must be regarded as a cornerstone of college preparation in the U.S. because more students are entering college without the necessary skills to thrive and ultimately graduate, according to a new McGraw-Hill Research Foundation policy paper. 

"Improving College Student Success: The Challenges and Promise of Developmental Education," co-authored by Robert S. Feldman, Ph.D. and Mattitiyahu Zimbler, Ph.D. examines the elements of successful developmental education programs and offers suggestions for future direction. Feldman is Dean of the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences and professor of psychology at the University of Massachusetts Amherst and Zimbler is a research associate.

Developmental education comprises courses designed to bring underprepared college students up to the level of academic competency necessary to be successful in college. There is a dire need for these courses.  According to the Education Commission of the States, in 2010, 34% of all new entering college students (and 43% of community college students) required at least one developmental education class. Many states enrolled between 30% and 40% of their student body in some form of developmental program, with some states reaching over 50% participation in student remediation.

However, most of these programs currently are not effective in improving student retention and success. Only 17% of students who required at least one remedial reading course, and 27% of students who required at least one remedial math course, ultimately went on to earn their bachelor's degrees.

According to Feldman and Zimbler, the key elements to successful developmental education programs are:

• Focus on Avoidance: The optimal approach to developmental education focuses on preemption: avoiding the need for developmental education at the college level altogether by helping students to prepare for college before they arrive.
• Acceleration:  A frequent criticism of many programs is the amount of time and money that must be spent on non-credited courses before enrollment in college-level courses is permitted, an enormous obstacle for students. A variety of accelerated models are in use, all with the goal of offering students options for completing their developmental education without sacrificing substantial time, money, and educational progress.
• Personalized Instruction: It is critical for programs to create an environment where students can receive personalized advising and be placed in an educational setting designed to elicit student success. The more students feel that their education is relevant and personally beneficial, the greater the chance that they will continue with their education. 
• Flexibility: Many students struggle to find a balance among attending school, keeping a job, and taking care of their home life. Successful developmental education programs thrive because of their ability to be flexible enough to accommodate a student's scheduling and financial needs.
• Modularity: A curriculum that can be broken down into smaller modules increases the options and opportunities for students to complete their developmental coursework.
• Scalability: When students don't receive college credit for developmental coursework, the distance between enrollment and graduation can seem too daunting to undertake.  By creating distinct achievement levels that students can complete throughout the developmental curriculum, the college offers more opportunities for students to feel pride in themselves and their schoolwork. Additionally, hitting academic achievement goals provides positive educational feedback, which may be influential when students are deciding whether or not to continue their educational trajectory.
• Data-Driven, Evidence-Based Best Practices: Whatever method or methods are chosen, conducting sound program evaluation is the essential ingredient in creating lasting improvements in developmental education. Only through rigorous appraisal and assessment of these new practices can the academic community make informed choices about which developmental methodologies merit further investment of limited educational resources.

The co-authors urge a partnership between colleges and high schools to design and implement practice placement tests and college preparation coursework.  They argue that it is only through intensive collaboration that the nation's educational system can begin to improve its retention rate and attract new populations of students.

Feldman and Zimbler say, "As a society dedicated to the success of all persons, the United States has the responsibility to bridge the gap between unprepared high school students and college readiness. Currently, the community college system has borne the primary responsibility for solving this problem. However, the magnitude of the problem is already too great to be handled by two-year colleges alone. Resolving the issues facing developmental education will necessitate collaboration among all levels of educational institutions."

To download a copy of "Improving College Student Success: The Challenges and Promise of Developmental Education," click here.

About The McGraw-Hill Research Foundation

The Foundation was established with the support of The McGraw-Hill Companies and is a Section 501(c)(3) organization. Additional information is available at http://www.mcgraw-hillresearchfoundation.org/.  

SOURCE The McGraw-Hill Research Foundation