Rethinking Developmental Education Policy and Practice

Systems Shift: Creating and Navigating Change in Rhetoric and Composition Administration

“…Because the status of basic writing is perpetually in flux, remedial courses and programs have, unsurprisingly, rarely enjoyed institutional stability. In recent years, however, there has been a dramatic shift to curtail or even outright eliminate remediation in higher education (Mangan, 2013;Parker et al, 2014). This veritable "war on remediation" (Fain, 2012;Flannery, 2014;Landesman, 1999) has evolved as pressure increases to push students through college toward degree completion as quickly as possible.…”

The CUNY Remediation Debate and Coalitions: Information Matters

“…While lawmakers in states across the country have debated the efficacy of remedial education, policies related to college remediation continue to be implemented with little understanding of the potential impact on access or success. To date, at least 14 states and many higher education systems have ended or reduced funding in 4-year colleges and universities (Parker et al, 2014) for remedial education, courses intended to academically prepare students for college-level work in 4-year colleges. A baccalaureate degree, thereby, may be out of reach for thousands of students assessed as underprepared for college as transfer rates between 2- and 4-year institutions remain low (Shapiro et al, 2017) and students expecting to attend a 4-year institution (and in this case who were already admitted to a 4-year college) are not likely to enroll in a community college if denied access to the 4-year due to a placement test score (Parker & Richardson, 2006).…”