In higher education the main subjects build on the knowledge acquired in high school. Research shows that students entering universities have acquired basic knowledge to different extents. It is very important to be able to apply mathematical knowledge directly. Students often treat practical knowledge separately from theoretical knowledge. They…

Based on previous research of Johnson and Kuennen (2006), we conducted a study to determine factors that would possibly predict student success in an introductory statistics course. Our results were similar to Johnson and Kuennen in that we found students' basic mathematical skills, as measured on a test created by Johnson and Kuennen, were a…

In this article, Gwen Taylor describes the West Kentucky Community and Technical College (WKCTC) groundbreaking program, "Accelerating Opportunity" (AO), which targeted students who are deficient in math, reading, or writing. The program uses the Washington State Board for Community & Technical Colleges' (2013) Integrated Basic…

This paper is a literature review that explores the nature and effectiveness of contextualization as a way to improve outcomes for academically underprepared college students. Two forms of contextualization have been studied: "contextualized" and "integrated" instruction. There is more descriptive work on the contextualization of basic skills than…

Asera assesses the challenges that community colleges face in educating students in basic skills. For a significant group of college students the seemingly automatic skills of literacy and numeracy have become opaque, creating a particular challenge for community colleges, 98 percent of which offer at least one remedial reading, writing or…

Prior research has established that the depth and breadth of remedial need in basic skills (math and English) exhibited by a student at college entry are strongly and negatively associated with the likelihood of achieving college-level competency in those subjects (i.e., successful remediation). This well-documented finding is built upon a body of…

A project designed to evaluate the quality of basic skills programs in writing, reading, and mathematics, which was implemented at a regional university and a community college within a statewide system in the Southeastern United States, is described. A multiple-indicator strategy was used, involving both short-range and long-range postprogram…

The New Jersey College Basic Skills Placement Test (NJCBSPT) was instituted in 1978 as a proficiency examination designed to measure the reading, writing, and mathematics skills of students entering college. In spring and summer 1982, 51,135 students at New Jersey's state and county colleges and at 10 independent colleges took the NJCBSPT. Of…

A basic-skills testing remediation model for older, reentry college juniors was studied longitudinally and cross-validated against previous findings. Attention was directed to the rates of academic success and attrition for students entering an upper-division university in 1981 as juniors and seniors and majoring in business administration. The…

From March through October of 1986, 44,453 students took the New Jersey College Basic Skills Placement Test (NJCBSPT) at the 30 New Jersey public colleges and 11 participating independent institutions of higher education. Designed to provide data for summary reports to the Board of Higher Education and to help colleges place already admitted…

A project was conducted at Cumberland County College to determine (1) whether remediation of basic skills deficiencies has an effect on the successful completion of selected vocational courses; (2) the levels of basic skills competencies in reading, writing, and mathematics necessary for entry into selected vocational courses; and (3) the most…

Details are provided to the New Jersey Board of Higher Education on the level of basic skills among freshmen admitted to the state's public colleges/universities. Levels of proficiency are estimated from performance on the New Jersey College Basic Skills Placement Test (NJCBSPT). Categories reflect performance of students tested at the campuses of…

Introduces the University of Wisconsin-Parkside's Collegiate Skills Program which requires that students exhibit competencies in reading, writing, mathematics, library skills, and the research paper before the end of their sophomore year. Details placement procedures, course sequences, competency testing, and indicators of the program's success.…

Labette Community College (LCC), Parsons, Kansas, a public comprehensive community college, received a 5-year Title III grant from the U.S. Department of Education to strengthen their academic programs through the implementation of computer-assisted basic skills instruction coupled with a comprehensive retention program. To study the progress…

Comprehensive programs to enable students to acquire skills necessary for college work are discussed. It is suggested that developmental courses be supplements to regular academic courses. In starting a new developmental program, three factors are important: commitment of the school's faculty and administration to the program's success, adequate…