ERIC Number: EJ1147706
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2017-Aug
Pages: 28
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0034-6543
EISSN: N/A
What Happens to Students Placed into Developmental Education? A Meta-Analysis of Regression Discontinuity Studies
Valentine, Jeffrey C.; Konstantopoulos, Spyros; Goldrick-Rab, Sara
Review of Educational Research, v87 n4 p806-833 Aug 2017
This article reports a systematic review and meta-analysis of studies that use regression discontinuity to examine the effects of placement into developmental education. Results suggest that placement into developmental education is associated with effects that are negative, statistically significant, and substantively large for three outcomes: (a) the probability of passing the college-level course in which remediation was needed, (b) college credits earned, and (c) attainment. Several sensitivity analyses suggest these results are not a function of particular stylized studies or the choices made in assembling the meta-analytic database. Two exploratory moderator analyses suggest that the negative effects of placement into developmental education are stronger for university students than for community college students and worse for students placed in reading or writing than in math. This work can inform debate and research on postsecondary policies and on alternative mechanisms for ensuring that college students have the skills needed to meet their goals.
Descriptors: Meta Analysis, Developmental Studies Programs, Student Placement, Outcomes of Education, Probability, Remedial Instruction, College Credits, Educational Attainment, College Students, Two Year College Students, Universities, Community Colleges, Reading Instruction, Writing Instruction, Mathematics Instruction, Regression (Statistics), Literature Reviews
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Information Analyses; Reports - Evaluative
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education; Two Year Colleges
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: Institute of Education Sciences (ED)
Authoring Institution: N/A
IES Funded: Yes
Grant or Contract Numbers: EDIES12C0084