Publications
Increasing Access to College-Level Math: Early Outcomes Using the Virginia Placement Test
This brief examines changes in entry-level college math enrollment and completion rates in Virginia's community colleges after the introduction of a new math placement test and placement policy.
An Examination of the Impact of Accelerating Community College Students' Progression Through Developmental Education
This journal article examines the impact of acceleration on access, performance, credit accumulation, and degree attainment at CUNY.
Designing Meaningful Developmental Reform
This practitioner packet provides tools to help community college administrators effectively implement reforms to developmental education at their colleges.
Faculty Orientations Toward Instructional Reform
This issue of Inside Out identifies and explores the implications of three faculty orientations toward reform that consistently manifest when an innovation is introduced: ready to act, ambivalent, and reluctant to change.
Why Students Do Not Prepare for Math Placement Exams: Student Perspectives
Based on survey and focus group data from four community colleges, this research brief discusses why many students who go on to enroll in developmental math are unlikely to prepare for the math placement exam.
Facilitating Student Learning Through Contextualization (Assessment of Evidence Series)
This journal article reviews the evidence for contextualization, an instructional approach that connects foundational skills and college-level content.
Enhancing Rigor in Developmental Education
This issue of Inside Out describes how community college faculty are working to increase rigor within reformed developmental education classrooms.
A Contextualized Curricular Supplement for Developmental Reading and Writing
This journal article describes two experiments conducted with developmental students that investigated the impact of a contextualized intervention focused on written summarization and other reading and writing skills.
Improving Students' College Math Readiness: A Review of the Evidence on Postsecondary Interventions and Reforms
This CAPSEE working paper reviews current research on the effectiveness of interventions and reforms that seek to improve the math preparedness and success of high school students entering college.
Strengthening Developmental Education Reforms: Evidence on Implementation Efforts From the Scaling Innovation Project
Drawing on a scan of remedial reform efforts and fieldwork at 11 colleges, this paper examines trends in reform implementation and provides a framework for strengthening reform efforts and institutional capacity.
Literacy Skills Among Academically Underprepared Students
This article reviews studies published from 2000 to 2012 on the literacy skills of underprepared postsecondary students and identifies reading and writing processes that have been overlooked in the literature.
Introduction to Special Issue of Community College Review: Skills and Trajectories of Developmental Learners
This introduction summarizes the purpose and key findings of the four articles in a special edition of the Community College Review.
Timing of Concentration, Completion, and Exit in Community Colleges
This publication compares how long it takes students to reach important progression milestones based on their level of academic readiness upon entry.
The Opposing Forces That Shape Developmental Education: Assessment, Placement, and Progression at CUNY Community Colleges
Based on a case study of the City University of New York's six community colleges, this publication identifies the conflicting motivations that shape developmental education reform efforts.
Characterizing the Effectiveness of Developmental Education: A Response to Recent Criticism
In response to a journal article questioning CCRC’s claims about the effectiveness of developmental education, this essay discusses methodological concerns and other issues that may be a source of confusion.
The Common Core State Standards: Implications for Community Colleges and Student Preparedness for College
This NCPR working paper outlines the development of the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) and the CCSS-aligned assessments and argues that they can be used to support the mission of community colleges.
Acceleration Through a Holistic Support Model: An Implementation and Outcomes Analysis of FastStart@CCD
This report discusses the development of FastStart, its program features, and student perspectives, and it presents findings from a quantitative analysis of the FastStart math program.
Bringing Developmental Education to Scale: Lessons From the Developmental Education Initiative
The Developmental Education Initiative provided funding to 15 colleges to implement or scale up developmental reform strategies. This report examines the implementation of these strategies.
Pathways to Faculty Learning and Pedagogical Improvement
This issue of Inside Out explores how developmental education reforms can create opportunities for faculty to engage in professional learning related to instruction.
Contextualized College Transition Strategies for Adult Basic Skills Students: Learning From Washington State’s I-BEST Program Model
This report seeks to understand those aspects of the Integrated Basic Education and Skills Training (I-BEST) program that best support student learning, progression, and completion.