Since 2014, the Center for the Analysis of Postsecondary Readiness (CAPR) has studied one of the most vexing issues facing higher education: remediation. Roughly six in 10 new undergraduates are referred to preparatory courses in reading, writing, or mathematics, and they must complete them before enrolling in most college-level courses. The majority of these students never finish their remedial requirements, much less earn a college degree. Under the joint leadership of the Community College Research Center (CCRC) at Teachers College, Columbia University, and MDRC, CAPR researchers have conducted rigorous studies of two promising remedial reforms—multiple measures placement and mathematics pathways—and have fielded a national survey at approximately 1,000 broad-access institutions to document their approaches to remediation. CAPR has also engaged several scholars to research other remedial reforms. The research that was presented in this session reflected the culmination of work from a five-year grant awarded by the U.S. Department of Education Institute of Education Sciences. Presenters described the studies and discussed how findings from CAPR are relevant to practice and policy, including the Higher Education Act Reauthorization.
