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This study identified the policy perspectives of "street-level bureaucrats" in higher education (in this case, community college personnel) and linked them to a typology of 4 policy implementation patterns. The context for this qualitative study is state legislation in Florida (Florida Senate Bill 1720, 2013) that fundamentally reformed developmental education in the 28 state colleges (formerly community colleges) in the Florida College System (FCS). Study participants included 518 administrators, faculty, academic advisors, support staff, and students at 10 institutions in the FCS. The study employed Kluge's (2000) 4-step methodology for deriving an empirically grounded qualitative typology. The 4 implementation patterns in the typology include oppositional, circumventing, satisficing, and facilitative implementation. Our study highlights implications for developmental education reform efforts nationwide and identifies the dynamics that predispose street-level bureaucrats to adopt either oppositional or facilitative implementation behaviors.

In 2014, developmental education became optional for many college students in Florida, regardless of prior academic preparation. This study investigated first-semester math course enrollment patterns for underprepared first-time-in-college (FTIC) students who would have previously been required to take developmental math and the passing rates for the students electing to take Intermediate Algebra (the most common gateway math course in Florida). We found that roughly a 3rd of underprepared students enrolled in developmental math, a 3rd enrolled in Intermediate Algebra, and roughly a 3rd enrolled in no math course whatsoever, with preparation level being related to enrollment pathways. Among those who enrolled in Intermediate Algebra, a small percentage also enrolled in developmental math in the same semester, either through a compressed or corequisite course, and FTIC students who received same-semester developmental support were more likely to pass Intermediate Algebra compared with similar underprepared students who took Intermediate Algebra without developmental support.

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