- More underprepared students are attending college, leading to a boom in developmental or remedial education programs across the country. - In Arkansas, $53.8 million is spent annually on remedial education, equivalent to the combined budget of seven community colleges. - South Arkansas Community College has made changes to their basic studies program, including new courses for lower-level reading and math, and mandatory student success courses for those taking remedial classes.

1. Changes in Basic Studies

3. Statistics on Remediation from ADHE What is happening in Arkansas colleges and universities? Purcell, Jim. “The Future of Arkansas Higher Education.” Presented at a Trustee Conference, February 19, 2008

6. Cost of Remediation $53,800,000 Equivalent to the combined budget of seven of Arkansas’s community colleges.

7. Basic Studies at South Arkansas Community College

11. South Ark Success and Connections

13. Students fail to do well in college for a variety of reasons, and only one of them is lack of academic preparedness. Factors such as personal autonomy, self-confidence, ability to deal with racism, study behaviors, or social competence have as much or more to do with grades, retention, and graduation than how well a student writes or how competent a student is in mathematics. -- Hunter R. Boylan, Director of the National Center for Developmental Education