Practitioner Perspectives on Implementing Developmental Education Reforms

RAND and American Institutes of Research hosted a one-day convening on April 27, 2018 in Austin, Texas that brought together administrators, faculty, and advisors from the six Texas community colleges to share strategies and lessons learned around developmental education reforms. Participants engaged in panels, discussions, and activities through seven sessions that touched on topics related to college advising (e.g. use of multiple measures for placement, case management), improved supports for low basic skill students, and accelerated models of developmental education (e.g., corequisites, math pathways). This report provides a description of the various convening sessions and the perspectives of practitioners regarding promising practices and lessons learned regarding key developmental education reforms. The aim of this working paper is to inform developmental education reform efforts in Texas colleges and colleges across the nation by documenting the perspectives of practitioners at colleges that have been engaged in reforms and continuous improvement work for more than three years.