Developmental Education:
The P-16 Challenge
Research indicates that more than 40% of incoming college freshmen are
required to enroll in remedial courses. This session will explore whether
developmental education provides a bridge to college level work or becomes a
barrier to college success. Additionally, the session will address how high
schools, community colleges and universities can work together to improve
outcomes in developmental education.
Frank B. Ashley III, Ed.D.
Interim Provost
Texas A&M University-Commerce
Texas Higher Education
Coordinating Board
“Closing the Gaps”
• Participation and Success
“To achieve Texas’ bright future, enrollments in our
colleges and universities must increase in the next
10 years by 600,000 students over today’s 1.2
million. Since the “expected” increase based on
past trends would be 300,000 students, we have
our work cut out for us. But enrolling more people
is not enough – they must graduate, too! Texas
will not achieve the results it needs if students do
not succeed in their higher education endeavors”.
THECB Website
THECB
“More than 200,000 undergraduates in Texas'
public colleges and universities are
Under prepared for college-level coursework”.
The report focuses on 4 areas:
> Under prepared students
> Program effectiveness
> Best practices
> Funding
Just the Facts
• Nationally, more than 40% of
students arrive on college
campuses needing remedial work
• Only about half of the high-school
graduates who enter college have
pursued a college-preparatory
curriculum
• Colleges and Universities spends
billions of dollars a years on remedial
education
Developmental
Education: Statewide
Data Profile
Provided by: Cynthia Ferrell
Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board
Underprepared Students
In Texas, over 40% of all new students
were underprepared for college.
100%
St at ewide
90%
4-Year Inst it ut ions
2-Year Inst it ut ions
80%
70%
60%
50%
50%
40%
41%
30%
22%
20%
10%
0%
Source: Fall 2002 FTIC, THECB TASP LBB Performance Measure FY2005
Hispanic and African American Students
are overrepresented
in underprepared populations.
100%
St at ewide
90%
4-Year Inst it ut ions
80%
2-Year Inst it ut ions
70%
62%
60%
60%
54%
50%
54%
43%
40%
32%
36%
39%
Hispanic
A frican A merican
30%
20%
12%
10%
0%
White
Source: Fall 2002 FTIC, THECB TASP LBB Performance Measures FY2005
The Blame Game
or
Who’s Fault is It?
Statewide, students who completed a more
rigorous high school curriculum were
half as likely
to be underprepared for college.
100%
90%
St at ewide
4- Year Inst it ut ions
80%
2- Year Inst it ut ions
70%
65%
59%
60%
49%
50%
40%
32%
33%
30%
20%
18%
10%
0%
Recommended HSP
Minimum HSP
*RHSP=Recommended or Distinguished High School Program
MHSP=Minimum High School Program
Source: Fall 2002 FTIC, THECB TASP LBB Performance Measures FY2005
Academic Requirements in a Typical
Class
Never
Less than Once
a Month
A few times
a month
Weekly or
more often
Write a 1-5 page
paper
H.S.
College
19%
16%
48%
44%
24%
32%
9%
8%
Write a paper of
more than 5 pages
H.S.
College
61%
28%
37%
67%
2%
5%
0%
0%
Make Presentation
in Class
H.S.
College
11%
21%
59%
62%
24%
14%
6%
3%
Participate in Class
discussions
H.S.
College
1%
7%
4%
6%
9%
17%
86%
71%
Work with other
students on Projects
H.S.
College
4%
20%
29%
36%
36%
26%
31%
18%
Memorize facts,
ideas or methods
H.S.
College
5%
12%
18%
23%
28%
23%
50%
42%
Source: Chronicle of Higher Education (3/10/06)
What Teachers and
Professors Think
Subject
Not well
Prepared
Somewhat
well prepared
Very well
prepared
Don’t Know
8%
44%
38%
11%
High School
20%
32%
5%
42%
College
9%
46%
37%
7%
32%
32%
4%
32%
10%
49%
36%
4%
High School
44%
47%
6%
3%
College
15%
56%
26%
3%
High School
41%
48%
10%
2%
College
Science
High School
Math
College
Writing
Reading/
Understanding
difficulty
Materials
Source: Chronicle of Higher Education (3/10/06)
Program Effectiveness
Only 10% of all new underprepared students,
who took developmental courses,
gained college-readiness in their first year.
100%
90%
St at ewide
4-Year Inst it ut ions
80%
2-Year Inst it ut ions
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
24%
20%
10%
10%
7%
0%
Source: Fall 2002 FTIC, THECB TASP LBB Performance Measures FY2005
The Good News for
Texas
Almost 60% of all new under-prepared
students persisted from Fall to Fall.
100%
St at ewide
4-Year Inst it ut ions
90%
2-Year Inst it ut ions
80%
75%
70%
60%
59%
56%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
Source: Fall 2002 FTIC, THECB TASP LBB Performance Measures FY2005
The Bad News
One-fifth of all new underprepared students earn
a certificate or degree within six years, compared
to almost one-half of prepared students.
100%
St at ewide
4- Year Inst it ut ions
2- Year Inst it ut ions
90%
80%
70%
63%
60%
48%
50%
40%
35%
34%
30%
20%
20%
17%
10%
0%
Underprepared
Source: THECB Analysis of CB001, CBM002, and CBM009
Prepared
“Best Practices”
Based on a literature review of
state and national best practices include:
Institutional Commitment
Centralization
Academic Advising
Alternative Interventions
Program Evaluation
Educational Policy Institute
Dr.. Watson Scott Swail
Websites: Educatoinalpolicy.org
Studentretention.org
The
Student
Experience
Financial Aid
Recruitment & Admissions
Academic Services
Student Services
Curriculum & Instruction
Source (Dr. Scott Swail: Educational Policy Institute)
Administrators Must ensure there is
support for the following
•
Social and Academic Integration
•
Academic Preparedness
•
Campus Climate
•
Commitment to Education Goals and the Institution
•
Financial Aid
– Peer relations
– Role Models and Mentors
– Diversity in Faculty, staff and students
– Nature and quality of interactions in and out of classroom
– Tinto (1993)The stronger the goal and institutional commitment the
more likely the student will graduate
– Low income and minority students who receive grants generally are
more likely to persist that those who receive loans
– The shift in aid from, grants to loans and from need based to merit
based programs adversely affects both enrollment and persistence for
minority students.
Source: Educational Policy Institute (3/06)
Texas Education Agency
P-16 Council Developmental Education
Subcommittee
• Membership
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
Community Colleges – 6
Four Year Institutions – 7
Public Schools – 2
TEA – 5
Governmental Agencies – 2
Act/College Board - 1 each
Governor’s Office – 2
Legislative Budget Board - 1
• Charge
– Development of recommendations to effectively
address developmental education in Texas
Making Developmental education a
Priority for the Campus
• Faculty
–
–
–
–
Acceptance of Necessity for Developmental Education
Training
Regular faculty vs. adjuncts vs. Teaching Assistants
Reward System
• Curriculum Alignment
– K-12 with College Courses
– Two-year with four-year
– Developmental Courses with next level courses
• Resources – courses more expensive
–
–
–
–
Smaller courses
Tutoring
Tools and software
Minimal subvention
• Miscellaneous
– Faculty more concerned with teaching instead of learning
– Focus must be placed on learning outcomes
Major Recommendations
• Texas increase the preparedness of developmental
educators
– Developmental education certification and advanced degree
programs
• Developmental education content standards be developed
and include appropriate learning strategies
– Content standards employed to align learning objects in
developmental education courses with credit bearing courses
– To facility transfer of developmental courses among institution
of higher education
• Charge the Education Research Centers (HB1) with
developing a developmental education research agenda to
collect and disseminate relevant data through appropriate
and rigorous research methods.
Recommendations on Consent
Agreement
• Adoption of statewide developmental education missions
statement
• Adoption of statewide definition of developmental
education
• Appointment of the Subcommittee as the Texas Success
Initiative Advisory Committee
• Completion of a study on the costs associated with
developmental education
• The inclusion of a developmental education accountable
measure of underpreparded student completion of
baccalaureate degrees for all institutions of higher
education
Keys to a Successful
Developmental Education
Program
25 Steps to Effective Developmental
Education (McClenny)
• Make Student success in Development education and
institution wide commitment
• Establish a goal to ensure that student who come underprepared are able to succeed at rates at least as high as
those who came fully prepared.
• Carefully coordinate the various units involved in eh delivery
of developmental courses
• Establish consistency between exit standards for
developmental courses and entry standards for college-level
courses.
• Careful selection of faculty and staff who work with
developmental education is critical
25 Best Practices (cont.)
• Provide professional development for all faculty and staff
who work with under-prepared students
• Face the issue of mandatory assessment and placement, late
registration, and simultaneous enrollment in college-level
courses
• Recognize the importance of orientation or a college
success course at the beginning of the developmental
sequence
• Incorporate learning communities and other cohort
experience
• Recognize that at-risk students need structure in courses
and support services
25 Best Practices (cont.)
• Integrate the work of tutors (peer and professional)
with the carefully selected faculty members
• Recognize the potential of open or online labs (reading,
writing, and math) to support instruction
• Use a variety of teaching methods (group projects,
mediated learning, etc.)
• Recognize the potential for computer-based (assisted)
instruction which can be matched with tutoring to deliver
“high tech-high touch” services.
• Avoid confusion between language acquisition (ESL or ESOL)
and the need for basis skills remediation among second
language learners
25 Best Practices (Cont.)
• Provide prompt feedback on student performance
including frequent testing
• Develop links with GED providers (on or off campus) and
foster transitions for students
• Review the work of Roueche, Boylan, McCabe, Tinto, and
Adelman
• Expand and enhance the pre-enrollment (and concurrent)
activity with the public schools
• Consider certification from National Association for
Developmental Education
Best Practices (cont.)
• Consider case management (advocate/coach for the
most at-risk students
• Provide supplemental learning opportunities, particularly for
skill practice
• Commit to program evaluation which includes cohort
tracking
• Find the most appropriate computer-adaptive test for entry
assessment and supplement with writing samples if
resources permit
• Stress the development of critical think skills across the
curriculum
So how are we doing?
Institutional Commitment
100%
90% of institutions reported that
developmental education is a part of their
strategic plan.
90%
80%
96%
90%
70%
75%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
State Wide
4-Year
2-Year
Centralization
33% of institutions stated that their
developmental courses are organized within
a centralized unit.
100%
St at ewide
4-Year Inst it ut ions
2-Year Inst it ut ions
90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
33%
32%
33%
State Wide
4- Year
2-Year
30%
20%
10%
0%
Academic Advising
Almost 90% of institutions stated that
academic advising
is mandatory for all under-prepared students.
(Down about 10% over 4 years)
100%
90%
80%
96%
89%
86%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
State Wide
4-Year
2 - Year
Alternative Interventions
Fewer than 30% of institutions reported offering
Learning Communities for underprepared students.
29%
20%
27% 29%
26%
26% 29%
16%
M ath
Reading
Writing
25%
Alternative Interventions
Few institutions reported offering Paired or
Linked Courses for underprepared students.
100%
90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
16%
8%
11%
7%
18%
11%
14%
12%
7%
0%
M ath
Reading
Writing
Alternative Interventions
30% or fewer institutions reported offering
Supplemental Instruction for underprepared
students.
100%
St at ewide
4-Year Inst it ut ions
2-Year Inst it ut ions
90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
50%
40%
30%
30%
29%
22%
20%
19%
29%
15%
19%
15%
10%
0%
Math
Reading
Writing
Evaluation
Almost 70% of institutions stated that they
evaluate the effectiveness of their
developmental efforts and make improvements
100%
St at ewide
90%
4- Year Inst it ut ions
2- Year Inst it ut ions
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
74%
68%
54%
Where do we go from here?
• “If you admit them, you should do
everything necessary for them to be
successful”
Dr. Raymund Paredes. TX Commissioner of Higher Education
Funding
Developmental Education Appropriations
Over a six year period:
• Developmental semester credit hours have
increased by nearly 20%
• Developmental appropriations have
decreased 5%
4- Year Universities
• Most have not had to address this in the past
– Requirements for Admissions
– Class ranks or SAT/ACT Scores
– Self-selection by Students
• Now part of THECB Accountability
• TEA Associate Commissioner for P-16
– P-16 Subcommittee on Developmental Education
• Two Key Issues
– Faculty
– Resources not in place for intervention
• Now looking to the Community Colleges for
guidance
No Child left Behind?
Accountability: Coming to your theater
soon