Draft
Practitioner Perspectives on Implementing Developmental Education Reforms: A Convening of Six Community Colleges in Texas
Dec 3, 2018
Beginning in fall 2015, Texas policymakers recommended that colleges offer targeted supports to students who tested at the lowest levels on the state placement exam (i.e., below the ninth-grade level). This report describes the state resources and guidance, the students targeted with these new reforms, the implementation of the state-recommended reforms by community colleges, challenges faced with implementation, and some lessons learned.
Lessons from Texas Community Colleges
Does not include Technical Appendix.
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RAND researchers partnered with the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board and American Institutes for Research to support the state's developmental education reform efforts through a combination of continuous improvement support and analysis of statewide data on implementation. One of the reforms examined through the study was the state's recommendation that colleges should offer targeted academic support to students who tested at the lowest levels on the state placement exam (i.e., below the ninth-grade level) beginning in fall 2015. To support colleges, Texas policymakers offered resources and guidance in three areas: (1) new, detailed assessment scores that were developed to better identify students entering at the lowest levels of readiness; (2) course offerings and funding that allow colleges to offer concurrent academic support alongside entry-level courses; and (3) guidance and funding to support the referral of students to adult education and continuing education programs. This report describes findings from the study, including a description of the recommendations and resources offered by the state; a discussion of the students targeted with these new reforms; and findings on the implementation of the state-recommended reforms by community colleges and the challenges colleges faced with implementation. The report also highlights lessons learned for colleges in Texas and across the nation as they explore options for serving students who test at the lowest levels of readiness.
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