Remediation In Community Colleges

Community Colleges are unique institutions that operate under an “Open Door” policy.

This allows everyone the chance to attend an institution of higher education regardless of test scores, GPA’s, or entrance exams.

This “Open Door” policy, coupled with low tuition rates, creates tremendous opportunities for underprepared and underprivileged individuals graduating from many of our nations high schools.

This opportunity however, often creates the difficulty of getting underprepared students up to speed with the rigors of college-level work. PROBLEM: SOLUTION: Remediation

REMEDIATION Remedial education involves specific courses, generally in reading, writing, and mathematics, tailored to students lacking the fundamental skills necessary in these areas to perform at the college level. Remedial education involves specific courses, generally in reading, writing, and mathematics, tailored to students lacking the fundamental skills necessary in these areas to perform at the college level.

So who are these students in need of remediation? Many falsely believe that remedial students are recent graduates who did not acquire the necessary skills in high school due to laziness and lack of interest.

Remedial Students It is true that many remedial students are recent high school graduates, about 60% according to Oudenhoven (2002). However, due to poor advising and limited opportunity, the majority of these students did not participate in a college-preparatory curriculum in high school, which often leads to the need for remediation. The remaining 40% are adult learners who, due to vocational changes, the need for new skills, or simply new interests, want to earn college degrees. Oudenhoven (2002)

The issue of remediation has been around for quite some time. In fact, in 1869, Charles W. Elliot, the president of Harvard stated that, “ The American college is obliged to supplement the American school. Whatever elementary instruction the schools fail to give, the college must supply” (Span, 2000).

Many people have voiced concerns about including remedial courses in colleges and universities. These courses cost taxpayers too much money! These classes keep students from progressing towards a degree! Remediation takes too much extra time! (Boylan 1999)

THE FACTS… Researchers have concluded that remediation in higher education costs the U.S. government about $1 billion annually, or roughly 1% of its educational expenditures on higher education (Merisotis & Phipps, 2000). Researchers have concluded that remediation in higher education costs the U.S. government about $1 billion annually, or roughly 1% of its educational expenditures on higher education (Merisotis & Phipps, 2000). A recent report illustrates, if only one-third of remedial students were to earn their bachelor’s degree, as a whole, they would create over “$74 billion in federal taxes and $13 billion in state and local taxes, while costing the taxpayer only $1 billion to remediate” (Span 2000, p. 1). A recent report illustrates, if only one-third of remedial students were to earn their bachelor’s degree, as a whole, they would create over “$74 billion in federal taxes and $13 billion in state and local taxes, while costing the taxpayer only $1 billion to remediate” (Span 2000, p. 1). “Furthermore, the graduation rate for remedial students would have to drop below the 1% level before taxpayers would see a net loss on investment” (Span 2000, p. 1). “Furthermore, the graduation rate for remedial students would have to drop below the 1% level before taxpayers would see a net loss on investment” (Span 2000, p. 1). Research shows that:

THE FACTS… The majority of students in need of remediation complete this coursework in less than 1 year (Boylan 1999). 80% of remedial students need only one or two classes (Boylan 1999). 3) Students who need remedial work, take the necessary classes, and pass them, have shown to have higher completion rates than their counterparts with similar backgrounds that have not taken the remedial coursework (Bettinger & Long, 2005). Research shows that:

“Developmental programs employing sound organizational and teaching strategies have been consistently linked to higher completion rates in courses, better student grades, and higher rates of retention” (Boylan, Bonham, & White, 1999, p. 94).

10 Successful Strategies for Remediation: (1) Mandatory assessment and placement (2) Program evaluation and adaptation (3) Professional training of faculty and staff (4) Centralized programing (5) Counseling and Tutoring centers (6) Mastery learning (7) Paired courses (8) The use of various teaching methods (9) Supplemental instruction (10) Collaboration with high schools. (Boylan 1998)

References Bettinger, E. P., & Long, B. T. (2005). Addressing the needs of under- prepared students in higher education: Does college remediation work?. Cambridge, MA: National Bureau of Economic Research. Bettinger, E. P., & Long, B. T. (2005). Addressing the needs of under- prepared students in higher education: Does college remediation work?. Cambridge, MA: National Bureau of Economic Research. Boylan, H. R. (1999). Exploring alternatives to remediation. Journal of Developmental Education, 20(3). Boylan, H. R. (1999). Exploring alternatives to remediation. Journal of Developmental Education, 20(3). Boylan, H., Bonham, B., & White, S. (1999, Winter). Developmental and remedial education in postsecondary education. Promising practices in recruitment, remediation, and retention. New Directions for Higher Education, No San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Boylan, H., Bonham, B., & White, S. (1999, Winter). Developmental and remedial education in postsecondary education. Promising practices in recruitment, remediation, and retention. New Directions for Higher Education, No San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Boylan, H. R., & Saxon, P.D. (1998). What works in remediation: Lessons from 30 years of research. Unpublished manuscript prepared for the League for Innovation in the Community College by the National Center for Developmental Education ( Boylan, H. R., & Saxon, P.D. (1998). What works in remediation: Lessons from 30 years of research. Unpublished manuscript prepared for the League for Innovation in the Community College by the National Center for Developmental Education ( Merisotis, J. P., & Phipps, R. A. 2000). Remedial education in colleges and universities: What’s really going on?. The Review of Higher Education, 24(1). Merisotis, J. P., & Phipps, R. A. 2000). Remedial education in colleges and universities: What’s really going on?. The Review of Higher Education, 24(1). Oudenhoven, B. (2002). Remediation at the community college: Pressing issues, uncertain solutions. New Directions for Community Colleges, 117, Span, M. G., Jr. (2000). Remediation: A must for the 21 st century learning society. Policy paper. Denver, CO: Education Commision of the States. Span, M. G., Jr. (2000). Remediation: A must for the 21 st century learning society. Policy paper. Denver, CO: Education Commision of the States.