This document summarizes recommendations from a developmental education taskforce in Colorado. It finds that traditional multi-level developmental education pipelines have high attrition rates and prevent many students from completing college-level math and English courses. The taskforce recommends reducing developmental education levels, redesigning curricula based on college readiness benchmarks, implementing student supports, and measuring success based on college course completion rather than course grades. A timeline is proposed for curriculum development, pilot programs, and statewide implementation over two years to accelerate students through developmental requirements into college-level courses.

1. Developmental Education
Taskforce Recommendations

2. Overview
 History of developmental education in CO
 Our recommendations
 Math
 College Reading and Composition (English & Reading)
 Administrative
 Proposed timeline

3. The problem
―The more levels of developmental courses a
student needs to go through, the less likely
that student is to ever complete college
English or math.‖
- Thomas Bailey (2009) CCRC Brief.

4. Colorado percent of enrollment in developmental
education
27%
73%
Enrollment
Students enrolled in at
least one DE course
All other students

5. CCCS students
61.6
25.3
13.1
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
MAT ENG REA
Percent of total remedial enrollment
Percent of total remedial
placement

6. Traditional Colorado course pipeline
MAT 030
MAT 060
MAT 090
MAT 099
ENG 030
ENG 060
ENG 090
REA 030
REA 060
REA 090

7. Current course completion
Course 2010-2012: 3 year average
ENG 030 61.6%
ENG 060 63.2%
ENG 090 63.5%
REA 030 64.0%
REA 060 68.1%
REA 090 63.8%
MAT 030 60.8%
MAT 060 66.3%
MAT 090 60.1%
MAT 099 57.9%
Total Average 62.9%

8. Why high attrition rates are a structural problem
 For students who place two levels below a college
course there are 5 ―exit points‖
 Do they pass the first course
 Do they enroll in the next course?
 Do they pass the second course?
 Do they enroll in the college-level course?
 Do they pass the college-level course?
 Students placing three levels down have 7 exit
points.

9. Why high attrition rates are a structural problem
 CCCS pipeline example for students who completed
ENG 030 - fall 2010
 Completed 030(538) 100%
 Do they enroll and complete 060 (189) 35%
 Do they enroll in and complete 090 (32) 6%

10. Student Voice
Angela McAllister, RRCC student

11. Student Voice
Duane Hansen, FRCC student

12. The goal of our recommendations
Move students quickly and effectively through their
first college level course.

13. National models considered
 Washington State - iBest
 Tennessee – modules and math emporium
 Los Medinos - shortening the developmental
pipeline and acceleration in math*
 CCBC - Accelerated Learning (ALP)*
 Chabot College – Acceleration and engaging faculty
to dive into pedagogy and practice*
 University of Texas - new mathways project*
 APSU– mainstreaming
* Indicates projects that heavily influenced CO recommendations

14. Our recommendations
 Reduce the amount of time, number of credits, and
number of classes
 Curriculum redesign
 Reverse design
 What students need to know for success in college class
 Active learning experiences
 Ongoing process

15. Math

16. Math - One size does not fit all
STEM Non-STEM Non-
Transfer
Engineering Journalism Radiology
Life and
Physical
Science
History Automotive
Tech
Computer
Science
Education Medical Office
Tech

18. College Reading and Composition
(English & Reading)

19. CRC recommendations
Placement Score(s) First Term Leads to
1A)
RC 0-39 and/or SS 0-49
Soft Landing Accuplacer test
1B)
RC 0-39 and/or SS 0-49
CRC 092 + CRC 091 Completion of all REA
and ENG developmental
requirements
RC40-61 and/or SS 50-69 CRC 092 Completion of all REA
and ENG developmental
requirements
2A)
RC62-79 and/or SS 70-94
CRC 093
Studio D
Completion of all REA
and ENG developmental
requirements
2B)
RC62-79 and/or SS 70-94
CRC 094
Studio 121
Completion of all REA
and ENG developmental
requirements

20. Administrative

21. Testing and placement
 Colorado specific assessment with ―strands‖
 Uniform multiple measures built into assessment
system
 Consistent test administration statewide
 Validate assessment scores every 3-5 years
 To accomplish these goals use a system level
institutional administrator (IA) in addition to college
site administrators for local control

22. Student support
 Use CCCSE practices
 Orientation
 Goal setting and planning
 No late registrations
 First year experience
 Student success course
 Tutoring
 Supplemental instruction
 Case management/academic advising/career coaches
 College develop a plan to use for
planning, initiating, and sustaining success for
developmental students

23. Faculty support and development
 Colleges create a professional development plan
 Offer limited full time positions to current adjunct instructors
during implementation
 Provide release time for implementation
 Course release and reassigned time to develop and implement
student success strategies
 Functional work groups on campus—i.e.
BANNER, Advising, Testing—address the issues of the
implementation process
 Provide, with CCCS, continuing professional development
focusing on research-based strategies
 Train transfer level and developmental faculty

24. Measures of success
 Successful developmental students and programs
should be measured in the following ways:
 In Math – Successful completion of any college level (100+)
math course
 In English and Reading – Successful completion of any college
level (100+) English course or any college level discipline
strands course.

25. What happens next?

26. Implementation teams
 Core implementation team
 Faculty
 Focused on curriculum, content, training, and professional
development
 Redesign advisory group
 Administrative (Banner, Business officer, Advising, financial
aid…)
 Testing – work with College Board and our testing center
directors

27. Timeline
 Spring/summer 13 discipline team work to develop
curriculum and to create professional development
training for faculty and staff
 Fall of 13 schools that are already working on
redesign will ramp up projects
 Spring 14 all colleges should transition to the new
models
 Fall of 14 all colleges should be operating with the
new models in place

28. Questions?

29. Creative Commons Attribute
Unless otherwise specified, this work by the Colorado Community College System http://www.cccs.edu is licensed under a Creative
Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 United States License. The material was created with funds from the Trade
Adjustment Assistance Community College and Career Training (TAACCCT) grant awarded to the Colorado Online Energy Training
Consortium (COETC).