A Case Study Using Developmental Education to Raise Equity and Maintain Standards

Abstract

In this chapter, we describe developmental education programs, which are the most commonly used strategy at community colleges in the United States to address the equity agenda through preserving the open-access mission while maintaining academic standards. Developmental education programs are intended to prepare students for college-level gateway courses. We first provide a nationwide descriptive overview about the extent and importance of developmental education. We then explain specific challenges to the traditional developmental education sequence based on an extensive literature review. In A Case Study of Current Reforms section, we summarize the main reform strategies that have been discussed in theories and currently piloted at colleges, with a specific case study that introduces developmental educational reforms in the State of Oregon. The chapter ends with implications for practitioners and researchers seeking to identify and implement promising strategies to support community college students.