Community colleges continue to increase their efforts to better serve students who enter their institutions with limited basic math, reading, or writing skills. In 2015, MDRC partnered with the Texas Coordinating Higher Education Board on a study to examine how colleges implemented state guidelines for students scoring below ninth-grade…

This mixed-method study explored the alignment of expected student learning outcomes (SLOs) and expected student entrance skills, as stated within "course outlines of record" (CORs), for basic skills courses in one California community college district. Researchers evaluated consistencies and discrepancies in course alignment. There were…

As the state emerges from another recession, jobs that remain and those opening require workers with higher-order skills most often acquired in postsecondary education. Increasing numbers of adults look to community colleges to learn those skills and to find a way out of a cycle of low paying, unstable jobs. Even workers with years of experience…

A previous working paper argued, that, to understand basic skills education, it is necessary to observe classrooms to see what the "instructional triangle" involving the instructor, students, and content is like. This working paper presents the results of observing classes in 13 community colleges. It starts with a conceptualization of…

Community colleges play an important role in the U.S. economy, providing access to higher education for low-income young people, a path to higher-earning employment for low-income workers, and a supply of well-trained employees for local industry. In order to remain competitive with other major economies, however, the U.S. must sharply increase…

This report offers research and analysis of outcomes for 15,743 students who enrolled in basic skills mathematics classes at Rio Hondo College in California between fall 1996 and summer 2001. The research was done at the request of the basic skills mathematics faculty. Although the California Community College Chancellor's Office defines remedial…

Conducted during the 1979-80 school year, this study gathered statistical information as to the success of the developmental mathematics program at Arkansas State University (ASU). The investigation focused on a comparison between Foundation Mathematics students who took Basic Mathematics as a follow-up course and pupils who enrolled in Basic…

Students in Miami-Dade Community College's remedial education courses supplement reading, writing, and mathematics coursework with computer-assisted instruction in a special electronic classroom. The experimental program is investigating whether integrating computer instruction in the basic skills curriculum helps underprepared students overcome…

The College Board Computerized Placement Tests are intended for use by two- and four-year colleges in determining whether entering students are prepared for college-level work in English, reading, and mathematics, or whether they need developmental studies. Seventeen colleges and universities participated in pilot testing of the College Board…

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…

This report examines the need of many deaf and hard of hearing college freshmen for remediation in one or both of two areas, reading and writing in English and mathematics. It explores the kinds of assessments most commonly used in these areas, suggests modifications for testing basic instruction and remediation, and offers some programmatic…

Research findings on college instruction and basic skills deficiencies are discussed in 12 papers from the first Regional Conference on University Teaching. Titles and authors are as follows: "Basic Skills: Dealing with Deficiencies" (Susanne D. Roueche, with responses by Gary B. Donart, Betty Harris, and James Nordyke); "Is Higher Education an…

The Basic Skills Program described in this report was developed by Macomb County Community College (MCCC) as a semester-long pre-vocational program for Comprehensive Employment and Training Act (CETA) students. Following introductory material, Part I presents a general review of postsecondary developmental education programs for…

Issues in community college basic skills instruction are reviewed and two model programs are outlined in this paper. First, concerns about student illiteracy, lack of academic preparation, and failure to complete courses are discussed, and public demands for educational accountability are examined. Next, the relationship between the "open…

Jersey City State College (New Jersey) developed a local evaluation model to assess all salient aspects of the institution's basic skills program. The college's Academic Foundations Program was implemented to address the needs of urban educationally disadvantaged students. It includes faculty and staff development and research, freshman course…