The document recommends reforms to developmental education in Colorado community colleges. It proposes shortening remedial math and English sequences to move students more quickly into college-level courses. Recommendations include reducing the number of levels, integrating reading and English, using multiple placement measures, and accelerating course completion through compressed curricula and alternative delivery methods. Implementation would require cross-college collaboration, new professional development for faculty, and administrative changes to testing and student support services. Projected outcomes include increased enrollment, completion rates and cost-effectiveness of the redesigned developmental program.
2. Overview
History of developmental education in CO
Our recommendations
Math
College Reading and Composition (English & Reading)
Administrative
Proposed timeline
3. 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.
4. Colorado percent of enrollment in developmental
education
27%
73%
Enrollment
Students enrolled in at
least one DE course
All other students
6. Traditional Colorado course pipeline
MAT 030
MAT 060
MAT 090
MAT 099
ENG 030
ENG 060
ENG 090
REA 030
REA 060
REA 090
7. Current course completion
Course 2010-2012: 3 year average
ENG 030 61.6%
ENG 060 63.2%
ENG 090 63.5%
REA 030 64.0%
REA 060 68.1%
REA 090 63.8%
MAT 030 60.8%
MAT 060 66.3%
MAT 090 60.1%
MAT 099 57.9%
Total Average 62.9%
8. Why high attrition rates are a structural problem
For students who place two levels below a college
course there are 5 ―exit points‖
Do they pass the first course
Do they enroll in the next course?
Do they pass the second course?
Do they enroll in the college-level course?
Do they pass the college-level course?
Students placing three levels down have 7 exit
points.
9. 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%
Do they enroll in college math (1746 ) 25%
Do they complete college math (1239) 18%
Do they graduate (558) 8%
Nawrocki, Baker, & Corash (2009). Success of remedial math students in the
Colorado community college system: A longitudinal study.
10. Why high attrition rates are a structural problem
CCCS pipeline example for students who completed
ENG 030 - fall 2010
Completed 030(538) 100%
Do they enroll and complete 060 (189) 35%
Do they enroll in and complete 090 (32) 6%
12. The goal of our recommendations
Move students quickly and effectively through their
first college level course.
13. National models considered
Washington State - iBest
Tennessee – modules and math emporium
Los Medinos - shortening the developmental
pipeline and acceleration in math*
CCBC - Accelerated Learning (ALP)*
Chabot College – Acceleration and engaging faculty
to dive into pedagogy and practice*
University of Texas - new mathways project*
APSU– mainstreaming
* Indicates projects that heavily influenced CO recommendations
14. Our recommendations
Reduce the amount of time, number of credits, and
number of classes
Curriculum redesign
Reverse design
What students need to know for success in college class
Active learning experiences
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. Leading to college math clusters in:
Non-transfer
Non-STEM
STEM
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
19. Assessment preparation
Non-credit leading to re-test
Options for colleges:
Referral to ABE programs
AAA Accuplacer preparation
Boot camp
NROC
MFL, Aleks, Enhanced web assign
MOOC’s
Tutoring
21. College Reading and Composition
Offer an accelerated model that provides students
with the opportunity to enter a 100 level class no
later than their second term in enrollment
Integrate Reading and English
Current sequence should be compressed and
accelerated
There are a variety of possible delivery strategies to
achieve this goal
23. CRC recommendations
Placement Score(s) First Term Leads to
1A)
RC 0-39 and/or SS 0-49
Soft Landing Accuplacer test
1B)
RC 0-39 and/or SS 0-49
CRC 092 + CRC 091 Completion of all REA
and ENG developmental
requirements
RC40-61 and/or SS 50-69 CRC 092 Completion of all REA
and ENG developmental
requirements
2A)
RC62-79 and/or SS 70-94
CRC 093
Studio D
Completion of all REA
and ENG developmental
requirements
2B)
RC62-79 and/or SS 70-94
CRC 094
Studio 121
Completion of all REA
and ENG developmental
requirements
25. Testing and placement
Colorado specific Accuplacer with ―strands‖
Uniform multiple measures built into Accuplacer
system
Consistent test administration statewide
Validate Accuplacer scores every 3-5 years – are we
using the right cut scores
To accomplish these goals use a system level
institutional administrator (IA) in addition to college
site administrators for local control
26. Student support
Use CCCSE practices
Orientation
Goal setting and planning
No late registrations
First year experience
Student success course
Tutoring
Supplemental instruction
Case management/academic advising/career coaches
College develop a plan to use for
planning, initiating, and sustaining success for
developmental students
27. Faculty support and development
Colleges create a professional development plan
Offer limited full time positions to current adjunct instructors
during implementation
Provide release time for implementation
Course release and reassigned time to develop and implement
student success strategies
Functional work groups on campus—i.e. BANNER, Advising,
Testing—address the issues of the implementation process
Provide, with CCCS, continuing professional development
focusing on research-based strategies
Train transfer level and developmental faculty
28. 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 and Reading – Successful completion of any college
level (100+) English course or any college level discipline
strands course.
30. CRC Enrollment comparisons
Old (3 yr
average)
Proposed
Year 1
Proposed
Year 2
Headcount
21,915
21,950 24,500
Sections
1,436
1,219 1,760
Credits
78,119
88,914 98,317
31. Math enrollment comparisons
Old Math Proposed
Year 1
Proposed
Year 2
Headcount
28,050 28,050 35,973
Sections
1,535 1,558 1,998
Credits
97,238
74,098 97,866
32. Revenue and expenses
Expenses tied to sections = $1950 per section
Revenue tied to credit hours for FY13 = $174.75 per
credit
Only instructional expenses in both models
34. CRC
Old model New model
Expenses
(sections)
1,436
$2,800,200
1,760
$3,432,000
Revenue
(credits)
78,119
$13,651,295
98,317
$17,180,895
Net $10,581,095 $13,748,895
36. Implementation teams
Core implementation team
Faculty
Focused on curriculum, content, training, and professional
development
Redesign advisory group
Administrative (Banner, Business officer, Advising, financial
aid…)
37. Timeline
Spring/summer 13 discipline team work to develop
curriculum and to create professional development
training for faculty and staff
Fall of 13 schools that are already working on
redesign will ramp up projects
Spring 14 all colleges should transition to the new
models
Fall of 14 all colleges should be operating with the
new models in place
39. Creative Commons Attribution
Unless otherwise specified, this work by the Colorado Community College System http://www.cccs.edu is licensed under a Creative
Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 United States 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).