The document summarizes recommendations from the Colorado Community College System Developmental Education Taskforce to improve developmental education programs. Key recommendations include:
- Accelerating students through developmental education levels in 1-2 semesters by compressing courses, mainstreaming students into college courses, and integrating reading and writing instruction.
- Offering multiple math pathways tailored to students' career interests to replace the traditional algebra sequence.
- Providing co-requisite support courses for students in college-level math and English.
- Measuring program success based on students completing college-level courses rather than developmental milestones.
2. What’s the problem?
“The more levels of developmental courses a
student needs to go through, the less likely
that student is to ever complete college
English or math.”
- Thomas Bailey (2009) CCRC Brief.
3. Colorado Percent of 09-10 Enrollment in
Developmental Education
27%
73%
Enrollment
Students enrolled in at
least one DE course
All other students
5. Traditional Colorado Course Pipeline
MAT 030
MAT 060
MAT 090
MAT 099
ENG 030
ENG 060
ENG 090
REA 030
REA 060
REA 090
6. Current Course Completion
Course Spring 2010 Completion
ENG 030 59.6%
ENG 060 60.9%
ENG 090 60.5%
REA 030 56.2%
REA 060 62.9%
REA 090 62.4%
MAT 030 58.7%
MAT 060 62.3%
MAT 090 56.7%
MAT 099 53.7%
Total Average 59.3%
7. Why high attrition rates are a structural problem
For students placing two levels below a college course in
English/Math, there are 5 “exit points”
Do they pass the first course?
If they pass, do they enroll in the next course?
If they enroll, do they pass the second course?
If they pass, do they enroll in the college-level course?
If they enroll, do they pass the college-level course?
Students placing three levels down have 7 exit points.
8. Why high attrition rates are a structural problem
CCCS pipeline example for students beginning in
MAT090
Enroll in remedial math (6933) 100%
Do they complete MAT 090 (3053) 44%
If they pass, do they enroll in college math (1746) 25%
If they enroll, do they pass the course (1239) 18%
If they complete, do they graduate (558) 8%
Nawrocki, Baker, & Corash (2009). Success of remedial math students in the Colorado
community college system: A longitudinal study.
10. Some of the possibilities
Compression models that combine existing levels
Mechanisms for bypassing remedial levels
Mainstreaming students into college-level courses
Integrated reading and writing courses that
replace multiple levels of reading and writing
Pre-statistics courses that replace the traditional
algebra sequence
Contextualized instruction in career-technical
programs
11. Some of the national models and ideas
considered
Washington State - I-Best
John Squires, Tennessee - Redesign modules
Myra Snell, Los Medinos - shortening the developmental
pipeline and acceleration in math
Betty Frost, Jackson State - math modules
Peter Adams, CCBC - Accelerated Learning (ALP)
Tom Dewit, Chabot College - engaging faculty to dive into
pedagogy and practice
Uri Treisman & Amy Getz, University of Texas - new
mathways project
Tristan Denley, APSU– mainstreaming
12. Local innovations and successes
Aurora
Integrated reading and English curriculum
A move from stand alone DE reading or English – at the
highest DE levels (old 090) all are paired as one credit courses
with college courses.
Denver
Fast Start - compression and paired learning communities
with DE English and reading
Additional student support structures
Front Range
Learning communities & ALP
13. Themes
Key metric is success in college courses
Time is the greatest barrier to student success in a
college course
Use evidence based practice
Continuous improvement is essential to long-term
success
Developmental curriculum should be transformative
and have college preparatory skills imbedded in it
14. What do the recommendations look
like right now?
15. Goal statement
To accelerate students so they can be successful in a college level
course by allowing students to reduce the amount of time, the
number of developmental credits and number of classes. Our
overall goal is for students to be successful in college level
work.
This does mean a curriculum redesign. These principles
should be applied to curricular work:
Reverse design
What do students really need to know for success in college and careers
Two semesters or less for any student in developmental education – 1
semester for MOST students
There should be an active learning experience included with each lesson
This is an ongoing process
17. Multiple pathways
Each course in each developmental sequence should
be redesigned to only cover content necessary for the
college level course.
Multiple developmental sequences/paths/branches
available to students based on their career/major
interest.
18. Student advising as part of placement
Work with advisors to help students make informed
choices that realistically reflect their academic
preparation, abilities, and interests
Rather than making the STEM transfer path the
default for all students, support students with lower
academic skills or different career goals to help make
decisions about courses that match both their
interest and skill levels
19.
20. Quantitative literacy prep
Non-credit “soft landing” including options for
colleges to deliver depending on student and staffing
needs –
AAA Accuplacer preparation,
Referral to ABE programs,
Boot camp,
MFL,
Aleks,
MOOC’s,
Tutoring.
21. Co-requisite AAA with Math
Students at the QL level should be required to co-
register for a AAA course designed to provide them
with tutoring, college readiness, career
counseling, and support structures to promote
success.
The AAA course could be instructed by the same person who is
teaching their math course or in a learning community format
so content in AAA is aligned with MAT content.
Students should be co-enrolled with the same cohort of
students from their MAT course in their AAA course.
22. Delivery strategies
MAT103, 107, 108, 109, 112 could have an iBEST
type model linked for technical classes. In this option
students could integrate “soft landing” skill building
with contextualized program content.
Math faculty instructing these courses need to have additional
prep/plan time and tutoring support structured into their
schedules and classes.
Courses at any point in the sequence could be
delivered via modules, face to face, or online
depending on space and staffing needs at the college.
24. Overall ENG/REA
Colleges will offer an accelerated model that provides
students with the opportunity to enter a 100 level
class no later than their second term in enrollment.
Mainstreaming, compression, integration, and a
combination of integration and compression are all
possible models to achieve this goal.
25. Mainstreaming
Students are co-enrolled in a 100 level course along
with a corresponding/ complimentary
developmental course.
Examples would be pairing ENG 121 with ENG 090 or HUM
121 with REA 090, utilizing a just-in-time remediation
approach in each.
This model could be run with a single instructor teaching both
classes, or as a learning community where two instructors (one
for each course) collaborate to provide instruction to the same
cohort of students.
26. Compression
Students are enrolled in two sections of
developmental coursework in a single semester.
For example ENG 045 (traditionally 030 and 060) followed by
enrolling in a mainstreamed 121/090.
Or students could enroll in a compressed 060/090 course
followed by a traditional section of 121 the next semester.
In any compressed sequence there is the need for eliminating
curricular redundancy.
27. Integration and Compression
Developmental English and reading curriculum should
be integrated. Either together in a single course with a
new prefix or in single credit courses paired with college
level academic content.
Curriculum is integrated across functional areas.
For example a student would enroll in a single course (to be created
ENG/REA prefix) that covers both ENG 060 and REA 060
competencies.
Alternatively a learning community format could be applied here
where students enroll in an academic course, i.e. Biology and co-
enroll in REA 090 where the reading instructor specifically focuses
on skills for reading the college text for Biology.
28.
29. Improve placement score - options
Options for colleges to deliver depending on student
and staffing needs
AAA Accuplacer preparation,
Referral to ABE programs,
Boot camp,
MFL,
Aleks,
MOOC’s,
Tutoring,
Integrated basic skills training with technical programs
(iBEST)
30. Developmental coursework
Integrated ENG/REA course should integrate English
and Reading curriculum to eliminate redundancy in a
single class. This class could be instructed by current
English or current reading faculty.
College discipline course with co-requisite support, i.e.
ENG121 with a co-requisite developmental course. Mainstreaming
students at this level for additional support. This could be run as an
ALP model or as a learning community.
Biology, History, Philosophy, or Psychology paired with a support
course for disciplined reading/writing instruction.
31. Secondary Assessments
Students will complete the traditional Accuplacer
exam (weighted multiple measures should be
uniformly applied system wide).
Students may challenge their placement with a
secondary writing assessment, either WritePlacer or
a writing sample scored with a standardized rubric.
33. Faculty development
The state will fund a system of faculty and staff support
to carry out developmental education redesign.
We need to address faculty workload compensation,
Allow release time/compensation for development,
To expand advising on some campuses that currently do not have the
ability to offer advising to all students who test into developmental
math,
Offer limited full time positions during the implementation phase of
this work to stabilize our workforce to allow for program adoption to
scale.
Reexamine a full time load for developmental education faculty should
be redefined to 12 instructional hours instead of 15. The remaining time
should be spent doing the supplemental academic support, tutoring,
and advising we know developmental students need.
34. Assessment
An institutional administrator (IA) for Accuplacer is
needed at the system level to
Monitor common multiple measures,
Consistent placement scores for all system schools,
Ensure consistent training for testing center directors,
Create uniform test delivery and scoring practices,
Prepare new Accuplacer testing platforms for college use.
Implement best practices for National Council for Curriculum
and Assessment (NCCA) standards
Validate scores every 3-5 years consistent with test
recommendations from the College Board.
35. Assessment
Following the revision of developmental education
curriculum, develop a Colorado Accuplacer.
Have testing center directors/designated experts
meet to determine processes and procedures that can
be standardized across colleges. To include but not
limited to: Retakes, Common non-cognitive
questions, and test cost.
Students who register for ESL courses at the college
should be placed there through the testing process.
36. Measures of success
Successful developmental students and programs
should be measured in the following ways:
In Math – Successful completion of any college level (100+)
math course.
In English – Successful completion of ENG121.
In Reading – Successful completion of any college level course.
37. Contextualized Curriculum
Should be a frequently used teaching/learning method
Need learning community or curricular compensation
standards if this is going to be a sustainable method
Professional development is needed for content faculty to
collaborate with math and English/reading faculty to use
this methodology effectively
Contextualization should be blended with any other
acceleration method(s) selected
Infrastructures need to be flexible enough to support
contextualization (team teaching, linked courses)
38. Modularization
This is a delivery model that may be appropriate for
some institutions and program areas
Curriculum in all DE areas should be able to be
customizable to student needs
Instructional strategies should be able to be flexible
enough to differentiate instruction to students based
on those needs
Modularization of the math curriculum allows
students to get specific instruction in the areas we
identify they need most
39. Student Support
Required orientation, advising, goal setting, or
planning before registration
No late registrations
First year experience, student success courses that
aren’t optional (compressed/one weekend formats
encouraged)
Encourage learning communities
Sustaining tutoring and supplemental instruction in
any developmental education model
40. CONTACT YOUR COLLEGE
REPRESENTATIVE(S) FOR A COMPLETE LIST
SEE WWW.CCCS.EDU/DETF
CASEY.SACKS@CCCS.EDU
720-858-2841
BITSY COHN
BITSY.COHN@CCCS.EDU
720-858-2883
41. Creative Commons
Attribution
This work by Colorado Community College System COETC Grant is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License.
The material was created with funds from the Trade Adjustment Assistance Community College and Career Training (TAACCCT) Grant
awarded to the Colorado Online Energy Training Consortium (COETC).Based on a work at www.cccs.edu.Permissions beyond the scope of
this license may be available at www.cccs.edu.
Notas do Editor
Remind people this is a draft and a work in progress. Part of the reason we are sharing it before the board votes on it is so we can hear other perspectives and think through possible problems now and address those.
One of the reasons for sharing the draft while it’s still a work in progress is so departments can talk through the ideas and give their representatives feedback. The PPCC developmental math group is a good example. They’ve looked at this proposal in light of their current enrollments and at our next meeting requested we discuss some other course options for students who test into developmental at the lowest levels. Particularly in math, the DETF has the goal of addressing the sequence but that things like credit hours and content will need to happen with an implementation team of math faculty.
