Running head: THE COST OF REMEDIAL EDUCATION
Access to Success: Is Remedial Education Worth the Cost in Community Colleges?
Kayla Corzine
Ball State University
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THE COST OF REMEDIAL EDUCATION
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Access to Success: Is Remedial Education Worth the Cost in Community Colleges?
Community colleges play a significant role in higher education as they serve over half of
today’s college students (Cohen, Brawer, & Kisker, 2014). Whether students are looking to
obtain an associate’s degree, further their education for career advancement, or obtain a different
set of skills to which careers, community colleges are there with open doors. One reason for
their ever-growing numbers is the result of open access (Brock, 2010). Open access provides
students with opportunities to receive higher education, at lower academic skill levels than fouryear institutions and universities (Gabbard & Mupinga, 2013). Open access allows institutions
to serve a large array of students with various academic backgrounds. Since it is not possible to
create a standard admission examination for the various colleges, admission is open (Cohen et
al., 2014). In an effort to get the low academically achieving students ready for collegiate level
courses, remedial education is offered.
Remedial Education
“Remedial education does not provide a perfect solution to lack of entry level skills. It is
one strategy community colleges use to maintain academic standards while at the same time
allowing open-door admission” (Gabbard & Mupinga, 2013, p. 377). What exactly is remedial
education and how successful is it? How does it affect both students and institutions? These are
just a few questions asked about remedial education. From low success rates and degree
attainment, to hindering the name of community colleges, remedial education alone does little to
advance the success of today’s community colleges.
Definition of Remedial Education
Remedial education, also known as developmental education or basic skills, can be
defined as, “courses in reading, writing, and mathematics for college students lacking skills
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necessary to perform college-level work at the level required by the institution” (Merisotis &
Phipps, 2000, p. 69). Breneman and Haarlow (1998) defined remediation as the “means to reteach” (p. 9). The purpose is to also provide, “underprepared students with the skills necessary
to succeed in college and gain employment in the labor market” (Bettinger & Long, 2005). These
educational courses were offered in reading, writing, and arithmetic.
History of Remedial Education
Remedial education courses can undoubtedly date back to the very beginning of higher
education. However, the first program was documented at the University of Wisconsin in 1849
(Breneman & Harrlow, 1998). When colleges started to become more competitive in the 1960s,
community colleges were left with the students who are less academically prepared (Cohen et al.,
2014). In an effort to increase academic preparedness, community colleges have turned to
remedial education. “The community college mission is to assist these students, however, results
in lower retention rates on campus” (Hoyt, 1999, p. 51). In 1980, institutions found 30% of their
students needed help in at least one area of their basis skills. Remedial courses spread quickly
and by 1995, they were offered in 81% of four-year institutions and 100% of community
colleges (Cohen et al., 2014).
Enrollment in Remedial Education
Remedial education is used to help a significant portion of the student population with
low achievement scores. In 2003, the U.S. Department of Education reported over 40% of firstyear students at community colleges took remedial courses (Bettinger & Long, 2005). The Ohio
Board of Regents (2001) reported 55% of traditional-age, first-time freshmen register for
remedial education. Their enrollments consisted of 60% of students enrolling in remedial math
and 40% in remedial English. While remedial education is a tool used to advance student
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knowledge, it negatively affects student persistence. Of the 60% enrolled in remedial math, 40%
of remedial math students “never take a subsequent math course, and those who do are less likely
to succeed than non-remedial students” (p. 18).
Degree Attainment
Administrators will argue that remedial education is cost effective. Nationally,
remediation is around 1 billion and accounts for less than 1% of expenditures (Breneman &
Haarlow, 1998; Merisotis & Phipps, 2000). Administrators believe in this cost, but the public
raises questions about spending money on education courses that are not secondary (Tierney &
Garcia, 2000). Either way, remedial education seems to be a cost effective solution to poor
academic preparedness. There is only one problem with this: progress towards a degree.
“Remedial courses do not count toward degree or certification credits. Therefore, remediation
frequently lengthens the time necessary to complete a degree, which can have implications for
time-limited financial aid packages (Bettinger & Long, 2005, p. 20).
Students, who were enrolled full time and took remedial courses, completed 15.4 fewer
credits than students in non-remedial courses. Not only are students struggling to obtain credits,
but a degree as well. “Remedial education programs often do a better job of weeding out
students than helping them advance to college-level courses and degrees” (Brock, 2010, p. 126).
Students enrolled in remediation are 15% more likely to stop out without a two-year degree. Of
the students who are enrolled in three areas of remediation, 64 to 72% dropped out (Hoyt, 1999).
Only 35% of students enrolled in five or more remediation courses obtained a degree (Merisotis
& Phipps, 2000). Even when accounting for the students who transferred, enrollment in
remedial education significantly increases their chance of dropping out as well (Hoyt, 1999). If
they do not drop out, a students chance to attain a degree drastically falls over time. Within a
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span of eight and one-half years from their entry, only 28% of students in remedial education
attained a degree or certificate (Brock, 2010). While these statistics do not shed a positive light
on remedial education and degree attainment, it can be argued that some students are not enrolled
for a degree, but may only be there to brush up on skills.
Some administrators may believe the presence of remedial education doesn’t seem to
threaten the community colleges, but the statics do not lie. By 1995, 100% of community
colleges offered remedial coursework. In the 1995-96 academic year, statistics show students
who begin at a four-year institution were twice as likely to complete their degree, compared to
those who started at a two-year institution (Brock, 2010). Further more, after five years, 60% of
students who started at a four-year institution completed their degree. The community college
counterparts only had a 32% completion rate. This statistic accounted for certificate’s,
associate’s degrees, and bachelor’s degrees. While providing access and an opportunity for
higher education is important, it is vital that students are successful. Whether their success is
based off of further education or skills, passing remedial courses, or attaining a degree,
additional efforts need to be introduced for this success.
Academic Prestige
Even though remedial education is being pushed to community colleges as a way to save
money, it significantly impacts the prestige community colleges hold. “Many administrators and
faculty philosophically disagree with the practice of teaching precollege level courses at fouryear institutions; they feel that community colleges and high schools are more appropriate place
to provide such instruction” (Bettinger & Long, 2005, p. 19). States such as Arkansas,
Louisiana, Oklahoma, Tennessee, and Virginia are attempting to limit remedial education
(Merisotis & Phipps, 2000). “Forty-two percent of freshmen at community colleges enroll in at
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least one remedial . . . course. At private and four-year institutions, the figure ranges from 12 to
24 percent” (Brock, 2010, p. 116). This is yet another example of the differences in academic
rigor between the institutional sectors.
While some states are working to remove their remedial education in four-year
institutions, there is one system that has succeeded. The City University of New York (CUNY)
has eliminated remedial courses in their university system and has also limited access to some of
their senior institutions (Parker & Richardson, 2005). What kind of message does this send to
students? If you are behind, you are not able to catch up at a university, but must go to a
community college. This concept seems to undermine the academic rigor of programs at
community colleges. Astin, (as cited in Meristosis & Phipps, 2000) stated an “institution’s
excellence is defined primarily by resources and reputation. To admit underprepared students
would pose a real threat to our excellence” (p. 70). New York City Mayor, Rudolph Giuliani, (as
cited in Breneman & Haarlow, 1998) “There comes a point, after 15 years of tragically
plummeting graduation rates and a total evisceration of standards, that somebody has to say, ‘this
isn’t working’” (p. 7). If remedial education is not working on its own, another solution needs to
be devised. Educators need to figure out additional instruction, resources, or support, and
implement them into the student’s course.
Alternatives to Remedial Education
“The core mission of community colleges is challenged when too many students who
need remediation enter their doors” (Gabbard & Mupinga, 2013, p. 380). As a result, it is clear
to see that enrollment in remedial education courses alone is not helping anyone. Students are
paying for courses that do not count, which can result in wasted time and money. What can
administration do to aid these students even more? Perhaps the answer lies in a multifaceted
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approach. Public policy should focus on two goals, “Implementing multiple strategies that help
to reduce the need for remediation in higher education, and improving the effectiveness of
remedial education (Merisotis & Phipps, 2000, p. 80).
Concurrent Courses
In the 17th century, Harvard College provided tutors for students who were not
academically prepared. This additional support provided students with the extra help they needed
to succeed. Providing alternative ways to learn, such as enrollment in remedial courses in
conjunction with standard courses could allow for optimal learning. This would also include,
“tandem courses, paired courses, packed courses, linked courses . . . and supplemental
instruction (Levin & Calcagno, 2007, p. 6). These will allow students to “tie basic skills
development to concrete applications in academic and vocational courses” (p. 6). It will help
students to make the connections from one course to the other. The extra time and coursework
can also help them develop the skills they need to be confident in their studies, and ultimately
succeed.
Revitalizing Secondary Education
Another option would be to ensure students are academically prepared for college out of
high school. “In an era of globalization and high competition, more high school graduates need
to be prepared for post secondary education” (Tierney & Garcia, 2008, p. 6). Students who
complete college preparatory courses in high school have better academic success than those
who do not (Merisotis & Phipps, 2000). Higher quality instruction in high school allows higher
education to meet them halfway to bridge the educational gap (Tierney & Garcia, 2008). While
this would put more academic pressure on the K-12 sector, it would improve the academic
preparedness of students.
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Guidance and Support
Students who are not academically prepared could benefit from more guidance and
support. Allowing additional support services through guidance counselors or academic advisors
can help students navigate the complexity of educational requirements to ensure they are on
course to graduate. As an underprepared student, it would be easy to get lost in the system if the
student to advisor ratio was 1,000 to 1 (Brock, 2010). These numbers can be seen at community
colleges. When serving a large population of students, it can be challenging to offer a great
number of resources. As the number of underprepared students increases, the number of
resources available to help them succeed should also increase. Another option to improve
academic success would be the extra support from the faculty member (Gabbard & Mupinga,
2013). Taking extra time to help a struggling student could be the difference in degree
completion or persistence.
Summary
Remedial education is a vast and challenging problem for higher education, which has
helped and hindered institutions. While it may not be a new challenge, it needs a new solution.
By providing instruction to students who are not academically prepared, we are giving them a
chance to succeed academically in the realm of higher education. However, there is a fine line
between access and success. Different measures such as alternative courses, specialized
instruction, or concurrent courses can provide students with additional help to pass these
challenging courses. If students cannot pass these courses, they end up wasting their time and
money and will make no degree progress. Extra resources and guidance should be provided so
students can persist and continue their education. Since many educators will demonstrate
remedial education is not a significant portion of the budget, institutions should place more
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emphasis on providing extra resources for student’s success. No matter why a student is
attending college in the first place, educators should work hard to ensure they are accomplishing
their goals and receiving the education they deserve.
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References
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