Publications
Developmental Education Reform as a Civil Rights Agenda: Recent History & Future Directions for California
This paper describes research that prompted developmental education reform, explores efforts in California that led to the passing of A.B. 705, summarizes research on its implementation and outcomes, and discusses the implications of this research for improving postsecondary access and success.
The Long-Term Effectiveness of Multiple Measures Assessment: Evidence From a Randomized Controlled Trial
Using nine terms of outcomes data, this CAPR working paper presents findings from an impact study on multiple measures assessment at seven State University of New York (SUNY) community colleges.
The Long-Term Effects of Multiple Measures Assessment at SUNY Community Colleges
This CAPR brief describes findings and implications of an evaluation study of multiple measures assessment (MMA); it focuses on results among students whose placements changed (or would have changed) under MMA.
Lessons from the Dana Center’s Corequisite Research Design Collaborative Study
Based on interview, focus group, observational, and student survey data, this CAPR brief presents findings on the design and implementation of corequisite developmental courses at four colleges, and it highlights lessons for other colleges.
Five Principles for Reforming Developmental Education: A Review of the Evidence
In a review of impact and implementation studies from the past ten years, this CAPR report summarizes what is known about how innovations to developmental education can improve student outcomes, and it draws out five principles that are key for reform.
Informed Self-Placement Today: An Exploratory Study of Student Outcomes and Placement Practices
This CAPR brief provides a taxonomy of various informed self-placement (ISP) systems, shares descriptive data from three colleges using ISP, and identifies important equity and access considerations for implementation.
Improving College Success for Students in Corequisite Reading
Using administrative data, this report examines early college outcomes of students placed into corequisite reading courses at the 13 community colleges in the Tennessee Board of Regents system.
The Effects of Corequisite Remediation: Evidence From a Statewide Reform in Tennessee
This paper provides the first causal evidence on a system-wide corequisite reform, using data from all 13 community colleges affiliated with the Tennessee Board of Regents.
How Lesson Study Facilitated the Adoption of New Teaching Practices in a Community College Quantitative Reasoning Course
This article describes how lesson study—a structured, collaborative professional development intervention—encouraged developmental mathematics faculty at three community colleges to implement new approaches to instruction.
Lessons From Two Experimental Studies of Multiple Measures Assessment
This CAPR brief describes two recent experimental studies of multiple measures assessment, in which colleges use measures beyond placement test scores to determine students’ college readiness.
Increasing Gatekeeper Course Completion: Three-Semester Findings From an Experimental Study of Multiple Measures Assessment and Placement
This report describes findings from a random assignment study examining the implementation, cost, and efficacy of multiple measures assessments for placing students into college-level or developmental courses.
The Implementation and Outcomes of Lesson Study in Community College Mathematics
This report describes a project undertaken by CCRC, Education Northwest, and three Oregon community colleges to adapt lesson study for use among faculty teaching a precollege (developmental) quantitative literacy course.
Developmental Education
This fact sheet describes how traditional developmental education may have unintended consequences for students and the growing body of research evidence on promising reforms.
Implementing and Scaling Multiple Measures Assessment in the Context of COVID-19
This brief discusses how community college systems in four states—Indiana, Virginia, Texas, and Washington—supported large-scale changes to student placement practices in reaction to challenges associated with the COVID pandemic.
Improving Developmental and College-Level Mathematics: Prominent Reforms and the Need to Address Equity
This paper examines the equity implications of existing reforms to developmental math and explores the potential of more targeted reforms to address factors such as stereotype threat, math anxiety, instructor bias, and tracking.
Who Should Take College-Level Courses? Impact Findings From an Evaluation of a Multiple Measures Assessment Strategy
This report describes impact findings from an evaluation of multiple measures assessment and placement at seven State University of New York (SUNY) community colleges.
How Can We Improve Teaching in Higher Education? Learning From CUNY Start
This paper describes the professional development model used in CUNY Start, a program developed at the City University of New York to support entering students identified as academically underprepared in literacy and mathematics.
A Top-Down/Bottom-Up Approach to Statewide Change: Mathematics Pathways to Completion
This report examines the efforts of six state higher education systems to improve student outcomes and close opportunity gaps in mathematics as part of a three-year project led by the Charles A. Dana Center at The University of Texas at Austin.
Expanding Access to College-Level Courses
This study uses a randomized controlled trial to evaluate the efficacy of multiple measures assessment programs at five colleges in Minnesota and Wisconsin and also examines the implementation and cost of the programs.
Gaining Ground: Findings From the Dana Center Mathematics Pathways Impact Study
This CAPR report examines how four Texas community colleges implemented Dana Center Mathematics Pathways (DCMP) and the impact of DCMP on student outcomes over as many as four semesters. Costs of the initiative and student perspectives are also discussed.