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Remediation
Remediation Quandary for Colleges
Remedial education for students considered academically underprepared for higher education has both supporters and critics. Known also as developmental education or basic skills training, those who enter college without the necessary reading, writing or math skills to compete with their college peers find themselves in remedial courses.
Remediation can take several forms -- from testing to determine where the gaps are, to modifying curriculum, to providing tutoring and other support services and evaluating success upon completion of remedial work.
Remedial education traces its roots to colonial times. In the 17th century at Harvard College, tutors were provided for less-prepared students. Later, the G.I. Bill provided benefits to veterans of World War II, including covering tuition and living expenses for veterans attending college or trade schools and offering them remediation.
Some say remedial work should only occur at community colleges because four-year institutions shouldn't have to provide the skills that students should have learned in high school. Others believe confining remediation to community colleges leads to crowding at those campuses that are already in high demand. And, some complain that colleges spend too much effort on remediation, when high schools should prepare students for college work.
Research about remediation includes:
- A 1998 report on remedial education by the Institute for Higher Education Policy, which suggests that although there are no clear answers about the best approaches to help students, colleges should not abandon their efforts.
- A 1999 report on the demographics of remedial education by the Journal of Developmental Education, which shows that the majority of students in remedial classes are white, but that minority groups are over-represented.
- A 1995 survey conducted by the National Center for Education Statistics found that 78 percent of higher education institutions that enrolled freshmen offered at least one remedial course in either reading, writing or math. For community colleges, 100 percent offered such courses. And at institutions with high minority enrollments, 94 percent provided that assistance. About one in five colleges surveyed did not offer any remedial education.
The survey also dispelled some misconceptions about remediation, including the belief that those who need help are recent high school graduates. NCES found that while 56 percent of remedial students were freshmen, 24 percent were sophomores, 9 percent were juniors and another 9 percent were seniors. Also, during fall 1995, 29 percent of first-time freshmen were enrolled in at least one remedial course. Math was the most likely subject in which students needed help no matter what college they attended.
A 2003 study by Bridget Long and Eric Bettinger concluded that remediation has a negative effect on those seeking two-year degrees but does not have the same effect on those at four-year institutions. On the positive side for community colleges, the evidence suggests that remediation for a traditional student does improve the likelihood that the student will transfer to a four-year school.
The report also noted that more than one-third of students in U.S. higher education require some type of remedial instruction in math, English or reading.
Those classified as needing remediation are often placed there because they have the lowest test scores on standardized tests among their peers at a particular college.
Those classified as needing remediation are often placed because they have the lowest scores on standardized tests among their peers at a particular college or university. But just what the dividing line should be between a remedial student and another student is not firm. In fact, the standards for determining who should be placed in remediation often vary from institution to institution.
Reducing the need for remediation falls to the public schools and the education provided from kindergarten through graduation, say some observers. Academically unprepared college students are the result of elementary and secondary programs that are lacking.
Some suggestions for improvement include better alignment between what high schools require for graduation and what students need to compete in college; better training for K-12 teachers; and ensuring that K-12 students have the mentoring and tutoring to succeed before they graduate from high school.
In addition, communication between postsecondary and secondary schools has been relatively non-existent until fairly recently. But as the K-16 movement has taken hold, additional efforts are underway.
The Bridge Project, for instance, was a K-16 effort from the Stanford Institute for Higher Education Research and was funded by Pew Charitable Trusts and the U.S. Department of Education. The project analyzed the disconnects between K-12 and higher education and offered recommendations for change. Another project called Standards for Success analyzed the relationship between K-12 assessments and university admissions. Achieve, Inc., and collaborated with Education Trust and the Fordham Foundation to develop standards for high schools that match college admissions and work requirements. The endeavor is called the American Diploma Project.
Things to think about:
- Should four-year colleges abandon remedial courses? Why do so many students need help?
- How much does it cost colleges to offer remediation? A study by Hunter Boylan and Patrick Saxon, prepared for the League for Innovation in the Community College may offer some starting points. Also “College Remediation: What It Is, What It Costs, What’s at Stake” report for the Institute for Higher Education Policy provides some insight.
- How can high schools work more closely with colleges to lessen the need for remediation?
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Hunter R. Boylan
Director, National Center for Developmental Education
Professor of Higher Education, Appalachian State University
Boone, NC
(828) 262-6100
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Michael Cohen
Michael Cohen
President, Achieve
(202) 624-1460
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Eric Bettinger
Assistant Professor of Economics
Case Western University
Cleveland, OH
(216) 368-2184
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Kristin D. Conklin
Senior Policy Analyst, Education Division
National Governors' Association
Washington, D.C.
(202) 624-5300
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Lois Cronholm
Senior VP and COO, City College of New York
New York, NY
(212) 650-7309
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Tom Furlong
Senior VP for Baccalaureate Programs and University Partnerships
St. Petersburg College
St. Petersburg, FL
(727) 712-5270
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Kendra Hamilton
Assistant Editor, Black Issues in Higher Education
Charlottesville, VA
(434) 245-0241
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Ellen Boylan
Education Law Center and Starting at 3
(973) 624-1815, ext. 18
eboylan@edlawcenter.org
Focuses on adding preschool to state school finance cases focusing on adequacy
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Jim Jacobs
Director, Center for Workforce Development and Policy, Macomb Community College
Associate Director, Community College Research Center, Columbia University
Clinton Township, MI
(810) 286-2119
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Robert McCabe
Senior Fellow, League for Innovation in the Community College
President Emeritus, Miami-Dade Community College
Miami, FL
(305) 854-4428
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Patricia McGuire
President, Trinity College
Washington, D.C.
(202) 884-9000.
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N. Joyce Payne
Director, Office of Advancement of Public Black Colleges and Minority and Human Resources Programs
National Association of State Universities and Land Grant Colleges
Washington, DC
(202) 478-6049
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The Role and Effect of Remedial Education in 2-Year Colleges pdf
A paper on remediation in community colleges, along with a collection of other documets related to the Cornell Higher Education Institute's conference on "The Complex Community College"
Cornell Higher Education Research Institute - Eric Bettinger and Bridget Long, 10/13/2003
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Public High School Grads Struggle at College
A Tribune analysis of data available to Illinois citizens for the first time raises fundamental questions about how well the state's public high schools are preparing their students for college. The data show these students struggle to get a B average as freshmen at the state's universities and community colleges, even after leaving top-performing high schools with good grades. In fact, public school graduates at 10 of the state's 11 four-year universities averaged less than a 3.0 GPA their freshman year. Diane Rado, Jodi S. Cohen and Joe Germuska, Chicago Tribune, Aug. 31, 2011
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Diploma in Hand, But Unprepared for College
Large numbers of high school graduates are surprised to learn the diplomas they were handed in June don't necessarily mean they're ready for college in the fall. Nearly 45 percent of community college students and 27 percent of four-year college students have taken at least one remedial course, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. Alfred Lubrano, Philadelphia Inquirer, June 6, 2011
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Isle Grads Ill-Prepared for College
More than a third of Hawaii public school graduates who enrolled in the University of Hawaii system following graduation last year needed remedial instruction in math or English, according to a new school-by-school report that helps paint a picture of the college- and career-readiness of the 2009 graduating class. Mary Vorsino, Honolulu Star-Advertiser, Nov. 22, 2010
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Remedial Classes Cost Georgia Colleges Millions
Georgia's colleges are trying to improve remedial education by developing new curricula, requiring students to attend class more often and using technology to provide individualized instruction. But some question whether colleges should even be serving students who can't handle the academic rigor. Laura Diamond, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Nov. 1, 2010
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Many college students need high school math classes
Professor Derron Bowen teaches high school math to college students, patiently chalking equations on the board on basic arithmetic topics such as the speed of a driver on a a 20-hour trip. Bowen's class at Broward College in South Florida is for students who didn't score high enough on an entrance test to get into college-level math. Education observers worry that the vast numbers of students coming to college unprepared will pose a major roadblock to President Barack Obama's goal for the United States to once again lead the world in college degrees. The Associated Press via the Gainsville Sun, May 12, 2010
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Nation has high college remedial education rate
Nationwide, about a third of first-year students in 2007-08 had taken at least one remedial course, according to the U.S. Department of Education. At public two-year colleges, that number rises to about 42 percent.Christine Armario, The Associated Press, May 11, 2010
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Improving College Completion in the South, One Student at a Time
Colleges that have succeeded in improving their students' retention and graduation rates tend to have two things in common, says a new report on promising practices for increasing college completion.Andrea Fuller, The Chronicle of Higher Education, April 14, 2010 (subscription required)
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About 1 in 5 students need remedial help in college
Walk onto any of the state's 28 community colleges, and one of every five students is enrolled in a remedial education course. National data suggests that one in five students at four-year colleges seek remedial coursework, too. And it's a costly problem. Robin Erb, The Detroit Free Press, Feb. 12, 2010
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Are American Students Lazy?
Gather faculty members together and it's not hard to get them talking about the ways students disappoint. They text in class, expect extensions for no good reason, and act surprised when they don't earn A's. But when it comes to work ethic and manners, are there some students who -- on average -- don't disappoint? Kara Miller thinks so -- and her comparison of American students (who continually disappoint) and foreign students (who don't) has set off quite a discussion in Boston. You can read Miller's editorial here. You can also read one professor's rebuttal of Miller's column here. Scott Jaschik, Inside Higher Education, Jan. 4, 2010
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Reinventing Remedial Education
When Kafayat Olayinka graduated from Spingarn High School in Washington, D.C., with a 3.5 grade-point average, she was certain those kinds of grades would help her zip right through college. Sure enough, Olayinka received a letter of acceptance from the University of the District of Columbia, along with a request that she take a battery of tests given all freshmen. Soon, though, she realized something was wrong. Olayinka couldn't do basic math. Reginald Stuart, Diverse Issues in Higher Education, Oct. 20, 2009
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Denver grads face remedial work
by Burt Hubbard and Nancy Mitchell
Amber Mendoza is a freshman at Denver's North High School who is slogging through algebra and looking forward to the day when, diploma in hand, she can say goodbye to high school math forever. Except that, chances are, she won't be able to. More than half of all Denver Public Schools graduates who enroll in a state college or university must take at least one remedial course, according to a Rocky Mountain News analysis, and in most cases, that class is math.
The Rocky Mountain News, 1/12/2009
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Getting to the Finish Line College Enrollment and Graduation: A Seven Year Longitudinal Study of the Boston Public Schools Class 2000 pdf
See this report on the seven-year college completion rates for Boston students. The Center for Labor Market Studies Northeastern University and Boston Private Industry Council prepared the study for the city.
1/8/2009
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Students Fail - and Professor Loses Job
by Scott Jaschik
Who is to blame when students fail? If many students fail - a majority even - does that demonstrate faculty incompetence, or could it point to a problem with standards? These are the questions at the center of a dispute that cost Steven D. Aird his job teaching biology at Norfolk State University in Va.
Inside Higher Ed, 5/14/2008
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Studying the world's largest college system
by Matt Krupnick
The California community college system has grown unwieldy when it needs to be flexible. The Contra Costa Times examines the overwhelming challenges facing community colleges. Stories explore links between vocational programs and California's economy, the obstacles that prevent students from transferring to universities and the startling math and English problems that have come to overload colleges. In addition, it looks at the choices perplexing lawmakers, administrators and educators, and some solutions that might make a two-year education practical and meaningful.
The Contra Costa Times, 3/23/2008
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Whatever Happened to The Class of 2005?
by V. Dion Haynes and Aruna Jain
The Washington Post revisits the Cardozo Class of 2005 to illustrate how the D.C. public school system has failed to prepare students for adulthood.
The Washington Post, 10/7/2007
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Colleges revising remedial classes
by Carolyne Park
Higher education leaders in Arkansas are examining the state's remedial programs. The state higher education department finds that at least half of all entering students took one remedial class last fall because of low scores. State officials are working to increase the number of people graduating with college degrees.
Arkansas Democrat Gazette, 8/26/2007
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Southern Regional Education Board's Fact Book on Higher Education
Billed as one of the nation's most comprehensive collections of comparative data on higher education, the Fact Book has data on long-term trends and developments in higher education in 16 southern states. State-by-state summaries and quick facts are also included.
Southern Regional Education Board, 7/1/2007
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The Belmont 112, 20 years later
by Dale Mezzacappa
On a sweltering June day in 1987, philanthropists George and Diane Weiss gave the 112 sixth-graders at Belmont Elementary School, located in one of Philadelphia's most impoverished neighborhoods, the gift of a lifetime: free college tuition and a helping hand to get there. Two decades later, about 60 percent of those students are high school graduates, about 40 percent earned some kind of post-secondary degree and all of their lives have been affected.
The Philadelphia Inquirer, 6/22/2007
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Graduating from poverty
by Steve Koehler
Experts know a smarter work force will bring better jobs. Better jobs will lift people out of poverty and make them taxpaying citizens of the state instead of those who cost the state millions in assistance. There are thousands living at or below the poverty level in a seven-county area of south-central Missouri. It's part of the 8th Congressional District, one of the poorest districts in the country. The Springfield News-Leader examined ways one college is trying to help in a two-day multi-media package.
The News-Leader, 6/10/2007
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Tough Choices or Tough Times
A bi-partisan commission, comprised of former Cabinet secretaries, governors, college presidents and business, civic and labor leaders, is calling for a total shakeup in how America educates its people. Its findings include ending high school at 10th grade, revamping and reducing pension systems, collective bargaining at the state -- instead of local -- level.
by The New Commission on the Skills of the American Workforce , 12/15/2006
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At 2-Year Colleges, Students Eager but Unready
by Diana Jean Schemo
As the new school year begins, the nation's 1,200 community colleges are being deluged with hundreds of thousands of students unprepared for college-level work. Though higher education is now a near-universal aspiration, researchers suggest that close to half the students who enter college need remedial courses.
The New York Times, 9/2/2006
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The Literacy of America's College Students pdf
This study found that 20 percent of U.S. college students completing four-year degrees, and 30 percent of students earning two-year degrees, have only basic quantitative literacy skills. While this literacy rate is considered low, it is no different than previous generations.
American Institutes for Research - Justin D. Baer, Andrea L. Cook, Stephane Baldi, 1/19/2006
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Literacy of College Graduates is on the Decline
by Lois Romano
An adult literacy survey shows a decline in literacy among college graduates. Only 41 percent of graduate students tested in 2003 showed the ability to read and process information from short texts. The rate for college graduates was even lower. On average, however, adult literacy remains unchanged since 1992.
The Washington Post, 12/25/2005
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N. Colorado Set to Strengthen P-16 Education
by Jerry Wilson
With the passage of Referendum C, Colorado has an opportunity to diligently pursue a preschool-through-grade-16 (P-16) agenda to strengthen all sectors of the education continuum.
The Fort Collins Coloradoan, 11/24/2005
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Not Getting Ahead
by Rob Capriccioso
A majority of community college students typically described as "high risk" - including minority students, first-generation students, and those without good academic preparation - are working harder both inside and outside of class, but achieving lower results. According to this year's Community College Survey of Student Engagement, conducted by researchers at the University of Texas at Austin, it's important for colleges to design effective remediation strategies in order to take advantage of the engagement of these students.
Inside Higher Ed, 11/14/2005
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The College Track
A three-part public television series explores America's commitment to equal access to higher education through the stories of students struggling to become the first in their families to attend college.
9/8/2004
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The Role and Effect of Remedial Education in 2-Year Colleges pdf
A paper on remediation in community colleges, along with a collection of other documets related to the Cornell Higher Education Institute's conference on "The Complex Community College"
Cornell Higher Education Research Institute - Eric Bettinger and Bridget Long, 10/13/2003
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Remedial Education Information
A collection of research documents on remedial education compiled by the Education Commission for the States, including information on community college, state and national levels.
The Center for Community College Policy, 1/1/2003
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Remediation on College Campuses
by John Merrow
The Merrow Report offers a debate between community college pioneer Robert McCabe and City Journal writer and scholar Heather McCabe on the benefits of remedial education.
The Merrow Report, 11/15/2000
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Remediation: A Must for the 21st-Century Learning Society
A policy paper from the Education Commission of the States on the role of remedial education opportunities at community colleges.
Education Commission of the States - Milton G. Spann Jr., 2/1/2000
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Reducing Remedial Education: What Progress Are States Making?
A report from the Southern regional Education Board on the steps states are taking -- or should take -- to reduce the need for remedial courses in college.
Southern Regional Education Board, 1/1/2000
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