Critique of Dev Ed
The Changing Roles of Developmental Education, 1998 CRLA Address by John Gardner
Keynote address to College Reading Learning Association Annual Meeting November 5, 1998, Salt Lake City.
Much of recent research in postsecondary developmental education leaves the distinct impression that most remedial courses in community colleges are unsuccessful in helping students and that they should be entirely overhauled. Legislators and administrators are now taking these recommendations very seriously and are ready to cut programs that are ineffective out of their budgets.
This paper contends that, although there is much to commend in the remediation reform movement, it is unlikely to attain its goals. These goals include the Lumina Foundation’s target of having 60% of Americans attain a degree or certificate, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation’s goal of doubling the number of low income students who earn a postsecondary degree, and President Obama’s goal of the U.S. having the world’s highest percentage of degree holders by 2020.
Since Breneman and Haarlow (1998) first estimated the national cost of developmental education to be approximately $1 billion dollars, the developmental education landscape has shifted in numerous ways. This paper provides an update to their estimate in light of both these changes and improved data that disaggregates the cost to community colleges and four-year public institutions.
Making the Case for Developmental Education (2001), by H. S. Boylan
After learning that his obituary had been published in the New York Journal, Mark Twain responded that "Reports of my death are greatly exaggerated." The same might be said for remedial courses; reports of their failure are greatly exaggerated. Based on either misinterpretation or misrepresentation of the available research, many policy makers and higher education organizations are asserting that remediation has failed. This is not a valid assertion, nor one that is supported by a careful reading of the available research.