Implementing Developmental Education Reform at Florida State College at Jacksonville
October 2014
Rich Turner, Joanne Mechmech, Marilyn Metzcher-Smith, and Kathleen Ciez-Volz

• Developmental Education
– Compressed Courses
– Modular Courses
– Early Start/Bridge Program
– Direct Entry into Gateway Courses
• Gateway Courses
– Communications
• ENC 1101 or ENC 1101C
– Math
• Two Pathways
– STEM: MAT 1033
– Non-STEM: MGF 1106 and/or MGF 1107

• Resources and Tools
– Developmental education Web page: http://fscj.edu/academics/developmental-education
– Developmental education handout
– SB 1720 Progression Chart
“Understand your options . . . make informed choices.”

• Research-based approach to reform
• Collaborations, partnerships, and pilots key
– The Early Start/Bridge Program
– Diagnostic and prescriptive instruction in compressed and modular math courses
– Holistic approach to embedded support within college
English

The Early Start/Bridge Program

• Summer 2013: Second of two pilots involving
P.E.R.T. placement and diagnostic testing, remediation, and retesting
– Launched in Summer 2013
– Selected Pearson’s MyFoundationsLab
– Included tutorial support in mathematics via
Smarthinking

– Based on prior P.E.R.T. study, the following requirements for program participation were implemented:
• Upper level placement only, potentially in all three areas
– Reading (96-103) Overall (84-103)
– Writing (90-98)
– Mathematics (104-112)
Overall (90-98)
Overall (96-112)

• 114 students signed up to participate in the pilot; 110 retests administered
• Retest results:
– Math: 33 of 64 students retested college ready (51.6%)
– Reading: 16 of 23 students retested college ready (69.5%)
– Writing: 15 of 23 students retested college ready (65.2%)
– Overall: 58.2% of the retake students retested college ready

• Of students who placed into MAT 0028 but retested and placed into
MAT 1033:
– 16 of 18 students (88.8%) who took MAT 1033 earned a “C” or higher
– College-wide student success rate for MAT 1033 in Fall 2013 term:
65.31%
• Of students who placed into MAT 0028, then retested, and placed back into MAT 0028:
– 20 of 24 students (83.3%) who took MAT 0028 earned a “C” or higher
– College-wide success rate for MAT 0028 in Fall 2013 term: 66.56%

• Of students who placed into ENC 0025, retested, and then placed into ENC 1101:
– 11 of 15 students (73.3%) who took ENC 1101 earned a “C” or higher
– College-wide student success rate: 76.87%

• Program coordinated by the College’s Assessment
Centers
• A zero or near zero resource option
• Program targets only students who place into specified upper-level ranges on the P.E.R.T.
• Nearly 60% of students retested as college ready!

• Pilot became core part of developmental education reform plan
• Tutorial support added for all three discipline areas
• Opened point range to any upper level placement
• Aligned diagnostic component (path builder) with Florida Common Core
– Shortened diagnostic components
– Lessened chances of overload in assignments
• Have begun working on proposal to target students who place into lowerlevel developmental math course (MAT 0018)

The Integration of Diagnostic and
Prescriptive Software in Compressed and
Modular Math Courses

• Formed college-wide teams to develop curricular and instructional design model in MAT 0018 and
MAT 0028
• Collaborated closely with the college-wide Math
Council on course learning outcomes, instructional topics, hours allocated, and assessments
• Reached consensus about software: Pearson
MyMathLab

• Created modular courses (MAT 0055 and 0056) from MAT
0028 curriculum
– Diagnostic test results used to determine individual student learning plan
– Competency-based learning with “backward” instructional design
– Strategic Schedule Design:
• MAT 0055/0056 (A-4/4 weeks)
• MAT 1033 (B-12/12 weeks)

• Design of one seamless, integrative learning experience for developmental math students
– Use of a single access code for developmental mathematics
– Use of modular courses for students who fail MAT 0028
– Pilot of adaptive learning via Knewton technology
– Enhanced faculty professional development and training

A Holistic Approach to English Instruction

• The Problems:
– Teaching grammar discretely did not lead to better student writing (writing=holistic endeavor)
– Biggest obstacles to student success came from non-cognitive issues (student school/life=holistic balance)
• The Pearson “New Start” Solutions:
– Move discrete grammar skill/drill out of the classroom and into the online environment
– Provide additional layers of support and relationship building

• Move discrete grammar skill/drill out of the classroom and into the online environment
– MyFoundationsLab: access to Smarthinking; professors, tutors, and mentors monitor progress
– What did we do with the extra class time?
• Collaborative activities
• Reflective written pieces on the learning process, writing process, etc.
• Active learning activities to support ENC 1101 assignments
• Readings/summaries
• Additional sentence skills instruction

• Provide additional layers of support and relationship building
– Tutors: require some use (build into assignment)
– Mentors: make use optional, but encouraged
– Smaller class size
– Collaborative activities/active learning
– Reflection activities built in throughout
– Focus on learning how to learn

• Anecdotal observations indicate success:
– In both SLS sections: rapport building, intellectual curiosity, student engagement
– Observed benefits: co-requisite, contextualized, individualized, relationship building
– Caveat: student self-selection?
• Conclusions
– Relationships and student life skills critical to academic learning (=holistic balance)
– Communications and collaboration essential

• Data analysis of student success in developmental education and gateway courses
• Exploration of modular courses for students who fail compressed courses
• Exploration of supplemental instruction and tutorial-based models
• Exploration of seamless curriculum and single software access code model for developmental math

Questions and Answers