Using theory and research to improve access and retention in developmental education

Developmental education is an essential part of the community college mission; McCabe and Day (1998) estimated that more than two million students each year would drop out of postsecondary education without participation in one or more developmental education activities. To educate these students effectively, community colleges should implement best practices that have been proven effective via rigorous research and evaluation based on strong theoretical foundations. This chapter discusses the major theoretical perspectives that have shaped the profession in the past and provide the foundation for today’s professional practice. The chapter then presents findings from current research from both student and institutional perspectives evaluating a wide array of developmental education models. The chapter concludes with recommendations for future research

Collaboration and partnership: Within and between disciplines, programs, and institutions

The key questions in this group focused on two basic issues: (a) Is collaboration important?, and (b) Why is it important to developmental education? A primary assumption is generally held that collaboration is a positive framework for educators. This standpoint has also been applied to research, teaching, and practice in developmental education. Within the next ten years, the issue of creating partnerships and coalitions is projected to increase as a primary educational and social agenda, specifically as national demographics have changed and as our society requires an increasingly educated, expanded, and specialized work force (Carnoy, 1997). It is within this changing social context that we must begin to consider the conditions and circumstances in which collaboration will be important for developmental educators