Influence of a community college developmental education writing course on academic performance.According to according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. Cohen cohen or kohen (Hebrew: “priest”) Jewish priest descended from Zadok (a descendant of Aaron), priest at the First Temple of Jerusalem. The biblical priesthood was hereditary and male. and Brawer (1996), the increasing number of students leaving community colleges has influenced the expansion of retention initiatives. These initiatives include forming learning communities, allocating resources for task-force committees that focus on actions to retain students, instituting block scheduling Block scheduling is a type of academic scheduling in which each student has fewer classes per day for a longer period of time. This is intended to result in more time for teaching due to less time wasted due to class switching and preparation. , and investigating new practices, policies, and methods to make improvements in current practices that have not been effective. For those students who enter college without the basic skills deemed necessary to complete college level course work, Hadden (2000) contends that access should not be confused with success. He continues by articulating one irony of the community college: Although open-access allows all students to enroll, regardless of their skill level, this policy also allows a large number of students to fail. Developmental education is one retention initiative that is an essential component of the community college mission (Weissman, Bulakowski, & Jumisko, 1997). The roots of developmental education in the United States Education in the United States is provided mainly by government, with control and funding coming from three levels: federal, state, and local. School attendance is mandatory and nearly universal at the elementary and high school levels (often known outside the United States as the go back to the early 1800s. However, it was not until the publication of the Truman Commission report (President's Commission on Higher Education Commission on Higher Education can refer to
A nationwide study conducted by the National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education higher education Study beyond the level of secondary education. Institutions of higher education include not only colleges and universities but also professional schools in such fields as law, theology, medicine, business, music, and art. (Immerwahr, 1999) reveals that instructors, administrators, government officials, and business leaders believe the number one problem facing colleges today is that too many new students need remedial REMEDIAL. That which affords a remedy; as, a remedial statute, or one which is made to supply some defects or abridge some superfluities of the common law. 1 131. Com. 86. The term remedial statute is also applied to those acts which give a new remedy. Esp. Pen. Act. 1. education. A study by the National Association of Manufacturers (1997) had earlier revealed a need for developmental education. This study indicated that 6% of the companies surveyed expressed dissatisfaction with their employees' skills in mathematics, and 55% of the companies surveyed were dissatisfied dis·sat·is·fied adj. Feeling or exhibiting a lack of contentment or satisfaction. dis·sat  is·fied with
their employees' written communication skills. The National Center
for Education Statistics The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), as part of the U.S. Department of Education's Institute of Education Sciences (IES), collects, analyzes, and publishes statistics on education and public school district finance information in the United States; conducts studies (1996) reports that approximately 30% of
first-time college students entering a college or university require
developmental education. For community colleges, that number had earlier
been found to be closer to 74% (Boylan Boylan is an Irish surname.Boylan as a surname may refer to:
Statement of the Problem It has been estimated that only 10% of all academically underprepared postsecondary students are likely to obtain a degree without some type of intervention A procedure used in a lawsuit by which the court allows a third person who was not originally a party to the suit to become a party, by joining with either the plaintiff or the defendant. (Boylan et al., 1992). This statistic statistic, n a value or number that describes a series of quantitative observations or measures; a value calculated from a sample. statistic a numerical value calculated from a number of observations in order to summarize them. is unfortunate given that 77% of the developmental education students at community colleges express the intention of obtaining a college degree (Boylan et al., 1992). Although some universities offer developmental education, providing the basic skills necessary for postsecondary study is often viewed as a function of the community college (Cohen & Brawer, 1996). In the last decade, there has been an increased interest in the effects of developmental education programs (Aldelman, 1996; Boylan, Bonham, & Bliss, 1994; Boylan et al., 1992; Boylan & Saxon Saxon Any member of a Germanic people who lived along the Baltic coast in ancient times and later migrated west as far as the British Isles. The Saxons became pirates in the North Sea during the decline of the Roman empire, and in the early 5th century they spread through , 1998; Ignash, 1997; McCabe 2000; McCabe & Day, 1998; Roueche & Roueche, 1999; Smith, 1997). However, there are limitations with these studies. First, many of the studies have grouped students from universities and community colleges together, preventing us from understanding the two groups independently (Boylan & Bonham, 1994; Boylan, Bonham, & Bliss 1997; McCusker, 1999). Additionally, several studies have compared the academic achievement of developmental students who have completed developmental courses with students who did not require these courses (Boylan & Bonham, 1992; Hodges Hodg·es , John Cornelius Known as "Johnny" or "Jeep." 1907-1970. American jazz saxophonist who was a key player in the Duke Ellington Orchestra (1928-1951). , 1998; Miller & Rheinheimer, 1996; Napoli & Hiltner, 1993). This comparison is nota no·ta n. Plural of notum. fair one because the latter group could likely be better prepared initially. Finally, studies compared the academic achievement between developmental English 1. English - (Obsolete) The source code for a program, which may be in any language, as opposed to the linkable or executable binary produced from it by a compiler. The idea behind the term is that to a real hacker, a program written in his favourite programming language is course participants and nonparticipants. However, two of these studies (Fleischauer, 1996; Smith, 1997) were conducted at the university level while the one community college study (Hennessey Hennessey or Hennessy may refer to:
Although developmental writing Developmental writing is a method by which we learn to write. It follows a fairly linear process from random scribbles, to perfect handwriting. From scribbling to perfect writing The stages are as follows:
intr.v. per·tained, per·tain·ing, per·tains 1. To have reference; relate: evidence that pertains to the accident. 2. to the relationship of academic achievement and persistence (1) In a CRT, the time a phosphor dot remains illuminated after being energized. Long-persistence phosphors reduce flicker, but generate ghost-like images that linger on screen for a fraction of a second. with completion of a developmental writing course at the community college. Several of the studies (Boylan & Bonham, 1992, 1994; Boylan et al., 1997; Hodges, 1998; Roueche & Roueche, 1999) investigating the effects of developmental education have included either all areas of developmental education (i.e., writing, reading, and math) or have been specific to mathematics (Higbee & Thomas (language) Thomas - A language compatible with the language Dylan(TM). Thomas is NOT Dylan(TM). The first public release of a translator to Scheme by Matt Birkholz, Jim Miller, and Ron Weiss, written at Digital Equipment Corporation's Cambridge Research Laboratory runs , 1999; Penny & White, 1998; Testone, 1999; Walker & Plata, 2000; Waycaster, 1998). Specifically within the state of Illinois Illinois, river, United States Illinois, river, 273 mi (439 km) long, formed by the confluence of the Des Plaines and Kankakee rivers, NE Ill., and flowing SW to the Mississippi at Grafton, Ill. It is an important commercial and recreational waterway. , the Illinois Community College Board (1997) has identified that developmental education students are the least prepared in mathematics, better prepared in writing, and most prepared in reading (Illinois Community College Board, 1997). This study shifts the focus to the area of developmental writing and its relationship to students' persistence toward realizing their educational goals. Purpose of the Study This study examined the relationships between participation in a community college developmental education writing course and short- and long-term Long-term Three or more years. In the context of accounting, more than 1 year. long-term 1. Of or relating to a gain or loss in the value of a security that has been held over a specific length of time. Compare short-term. academic performance. The study examined whether developmental writing course participants earned higher grades at the end of a 3-year period following initial college enrollment when compared to nonparticipants. For the purpose of this study, nonparticipants are those individuals who were identified as needing the course but who chose not to take the course. Three research questions guided the study. 1. Do students who participate in a community college developmental education writing course differ from nonparticipants in regard to age, gender, ethnicity ethnicity Vox populi Racial status–ie, African American, Asian, Caucasian, Hispanic , high school experience, writing test score, initial enrollment status, and goal intent (degree-certificate or to transfer to a four-year college)? 2. Is there a difference between cumulative grade point average for participants of a community college developmental education writing course and nonparticipants? 3. Is there a difference between grades earned in a required college-level course (English 101) for participants of a community college developmental education writing course and nonparticipants? Method Research Design This study used an ex post facto ex post facto adj. Latin for "after the fact," which refers to laws adopted after an act is committed making it illegal although it was legal when done, or increases the penalty for a crime after it is committed. Such laws are specifically prohibited by the U. S. research design, which is characterized char·ac·ter·ize tr.v. character·ized, character·iz·ing, character·iz·es 1. To describe the qualities or peculiarities of: characterized the warden as ruthless. 2. by the facts that (1) there was no deliberate manipulation of the independent variables by the researchers, (2) the cases were studied after treatment occurred (Creswell, 1994; Gall, Borg, & Gall, 1996) and (3) the study involved a secondary analysis of data that were available from the student records' database at the college where the study was conducted (Hendrick, Bickman, & Rog, 1993). This design allowed the researchers to investigate the potential relationships between participation in a community college developmental writing course and short- and long-term academic performance using a nonexperimental comparison design. The literature suggests that full-time community college students require approximately 3 years to complete an associate's degree as·so·ci·ate's degree n. An academic degree conferred by a two-year college after the prescribed course of study has been successfully completed. (Tinto Tin´to n. 1. A red Madeira wine, wanting the high aroma of the white sorts, and, when old, resembling tawny port. , 1993). Based on this research, this study follows a sample of students for 3 years beyond initial enrollment at one community college. Description of the Setting The research site was a public rural community college located in the Midwest. The college offers certificate and degree career programs that lead to immediate employment, transfer programs leading to a baccalaureate degree, programs in liberal studies and adult education, and special job training and retraining re·train tr. & intr.v. re·trained, re·train·ing, re·trains To train or undergo training again. re·train programs. The rural college district covers 1,140 square miles A square mil is a unit of area, equal to the area of a square with sides of length one mil. A mil is one thousandth of an international inch. This unit of area is usually used in specifying the area of the cross section of a wire or cable. and is approximately 50 miles from east to west and 22 miles from north to south. Each year approximately 5,000 students enroll in credit classes that are taught on the main campus or at one of the two extension centers. The full-time equivalency equivalency the combining power of an electrolyte. See also equivalent. (FTE FTE Full-Time Equivalent FTE Full-Time Employee FTE Full-Time Equivalency FTE Full Time Employment FTE Foundation for Teaching Economics FTE Full Time Enrollment FTE For the Enterprise (SQL) FTE Fund for Theological Education ) is 3,378. Fifty-three percent of the student population is female, and 47% of the total student population report being employed. The college serves 32 communities and 11 high school districts. Consistent with the demographic characteristics characteristics of the surrounding sur·round tr.v. sur·round·ed, sur·round·ing, sur·rounds 1. To extend on all sides of simultaneously; encircle. 2. To enclose or confine on all sides so as to bar escape or outside communication. n. communities, few students of color not of the white race; - commonly meaning, esp. in the United States, of negro blood, pure or mixed. See also: Color are represented in the college student body--approximately 87% of the students are classified as White, non-Hispanic. Students who are classified as needing developmental courses by the assessment tool are eligible for all of the college's programs. Developmental students are directed to take their developmental coursework coursework Noun work done by a student and assessed as part of an educational course Noun 1. coursework - work assigned to and done by a student during a course of study; usually it is evaluated as part of the student's before enrolling in college-level courses regardless of their choice in program. Developmental education students have the same opportunities for educational study at the institution as do other students. The difference for them is the requirement of the developmental education coursework prior to embarking on their college-level coursework. Description of the Development Writing Course The developmental writing course is a five-credit-hour course. It is offered 5 days a week for 1 hour each day. In addition, the same course is offered 2 nights a week for 2 1/2 hours. The overall design of the developmental education writing course involves four major segments: (a) essay writing, (b) sentence structure, (c) grammar and word usage, and (d) punctuation punctuation [Lat.,=point], the use of special signs in writing to clarify how words are used; the term also refers to the signs themselves. In every language, besides the sounds of the words that are strung together there are other features, such as tone, accent, and , diction, and spelling. English 101 The developmental writing course is designed to prepare students for the college-level English 101 course and assist them in developing the communication skills that they will need both on a personal level and in their chosen occupational fields. Students must earn a grade of "C" or better in the developmental writing course in order to progress to the college-level English 101 composition course. Description of Variables The independent variable of the study was defined as first-semester participation in a developmental education writing course. Participants were those students who enrolled and successfully completed the developmental writing course during their first semester se·mes·ter n. One of two divisions of 15 to 18 weeks each of an academic year. [German, from Latin (cursus) s . Nonparticipants were those students who tested into the developmental writing course but did not enroll in the course during their first semester. In addition, there were 10 dependent variables included in the study. Names and descriptions of these variables are presented in Table 1. Description of Participants The purposeful pur·pose·ful adj. 1. Having a purpose; intentional: a purposeful musician. 2. Having or manifesting purpose; determined: entered the room with a purposeful look. sample (N = 669) was drawn from the population of 1269 first-time degree-seeking, certificate-seeking, or transfer-intent students who enrolled at one community college and were identified as needing the developmental education writing course during their first semester. The sample was further divided into two groups based on first-semester participation (n = 384) or nonparticipation nonparticipation The nonacceptance by a physician of the fees paid by Medicaid, or less commonly by Medicare. See Medicaid. Cf Participation. (n = 285) in a developmental education writing course. Those students who completed only a portion of the developmental writing course and then subsequently dropped the course were excluded from the data set, as were the 600 students who failed the course. These students were excluded from the data set due to the perception that it was deemed unfair to compare them to those students who had experienced the full semester effects of the course. More importantly, they did not fit the definition of a participant or a nonparticipant. The sample consists of 8 cohorts with 2 subgroups (participants and nonparticipants) from one of the following terms: spring 1995, fall 1995, spring 1996, fall 1996, spring 1997, fall 1997, spring 1998, or fall 1998. Both groups (participants and nonparticipants) were tracked for 3 years beyond their first semester of enrollment at the college. An important consideration for this type of comparison study is the equivalence of the groups. A one-way ANOVA anova see analysis of variance. ANOVA Analysis of variance, see there was conducted to test for differences in writing scores among the 8 cohorts. No difference was found among the cohorts. Using the chi-square test chi-square test: see statistics. , the researchers then tested to see if the 8 cohorts differed in regard to age, gender, ethnicity, high school experience, initial enrollment status, and goal intent (degree-certificate or to transfer to a four-year college). Again, there were no significant differences; therefore, the 8 cohorts were considered to be homogenous homogenous - homogeneous . Data Analysis All data were initially subjected to the appropriate descriptive analyses (central tendency and dispersion dispersion, in chemistry dispersion, in chemistry, mixture in which fine particles of one substance are scattered throughout another substance. A dispersion is classed as a suspension, colloid, or solution. ) based on the type of data the variable represented. To test for significant differences between the dependent variables based on participation and nonparticipation in the developmental writing class, a t test and chi-square chi-square (ki´skwar) see under distribution and test. chi-square n. analyses were used. Those variables which were continuous and appropriate for the t test included writing test score, cumulative grade point average, and English 101 grade. Those variables which were categorical That which is unqualified or unconditional. A categorical imperative is a rule, command, or moral obligation that is absolutely and universally binding. Categorical is also used to describe programs limited to or designed for certain classes of people. and appropriate for the chi-square analyses included age, gender, ethnicity, high school experience, initial enrollment status, and goal intent (degree-certificate or to transfer to a four-year college). Analysis of Later Participation. Later participants were those students who were found to have taken the developmental writing course during a semester other than the one in which they initially enrolled. For each of the five research questions, the secondary data analyses were conducted comparing the recoded "later participants" (n = 80) with the nonparticipants (n = 205). These data were analyzed an·a·lyze tr.v. an·a·lyzed, an·a·lyz·ing, an·a·lyz·es 1. To examine methodically by separating into parts and studying their interrelations. 2. Chemistry To make a chemical analysis of. 3. using the same statistical procedures as previously described. Results Question 1 Age. The chi-square test found no significant association [chi square chi square (kī), n a nonparametric statistic used with discrete data in the form of frequency count (nominal data) or percentages or proportions that can be reduced to frequencies. ] (1, N = 669) = .28, p = .60 between age and initial participation in a developmental writing course. No significant association [chi square] (1, n = 285) = .00, p = .99 was found between age and later participation in the developmental writing course. Gender. The chi-square test to investigate the relationship of gender and initial participation in a developmental writing course showed no significant association [chi square] (1, N = 669) = 1.62, p = .20. A chi-square test to investigate the relationship of gender and later participation showed no significant association) [chi square] (1, n = 285) = 1.88, p = .17. Ethnicity. The chi-square test to investigate the relationship of ethnicity with initial participation in a developmental writing course showed no significant association [chi square] (1, N = 669) = 1.44, p = .23. The chi-square test to investigate the relationship of ethnicity with later participation in a developmental writing course showed a significant association [chi square] (1, n = 285) = 6.28, p = .01. High school experience. The chi-square test to investigate the relationship of high school experience to initial participation in a developmental writing course showed no significant association [chi square] (1, N = 588) = .44, p = .50. The chi-square test to investigate the relationship of high school experience to later participation in a developmental writing course showed no significant association [chi square] (1, n = 263) = .673, p = .41. Writing test score. A t test was conducted to compare the mean writing test scores of initial participation to nonparticipation in a developmental writing course. No significant difference was found between initial participants (M = 31.25, SD = 9.23) and nonparticipants (M = 32.00, SD = 7.99), t(651.267) = -1.13, p = .26. A t test was conducted to compare the mean writing test scores of later participants to nonparticipants in a developmental writing course. No significant difference was found between later participants (M = 31.06, SD = 8.06) and nonparticipants (M = 32.37, SD = 7.96), t(283) = -1.24, p = .22. Initial enrollment status. The chi-square test to examine the relationship of initial enrollment status to initial participation in a developmental writing course showed no significant association [chi square] (1, N = 669) = .58, p = .45. The chi-square test to examine the relationship of initial enrollment status to later participation in a developmental writing course showed no significant association [chi square] (1, n = 285) = .08, p = .78. Degree-certificate intent. The chi-square test to investigate the relationship of degree-certificate intent to initial participation in a developmental writing course showed no significant [chi square] (1, N = 669) = .49, p = .48. The chi-square test to investigate the relationship of degree-certificate intent to later participation in a developmental writing course showed no significant association [chi square] (1, n = 285) = .30, p = .58. Transfer intent. The chi-square test to investigate the relationship of transfer intent to initial participation in a developmental writing course showed no significant association [chi square] (1, N = 636) = .33, p = .56. The chi-square test to investigate the relationship of transfer intent to later participation showed no significant association [chi square] (1, n = 274) = 1.74, p = .19. Question 2 Cumulative grade point average. The t test conducted to determine whether a significant difference existed between the mean cumulative grade point average of initial participants and nonparticipants in a developmental writing course showed a significant difference. Initial participants (M = 3.08, SD = 1.13) had a higher cumulative grade point average than the nonparticipants (M = 2.28, SD = 1.62), t(481.144) = 7.13, p = .01 at the end of the three-year period. A t test was conducted to determine whether a significant difference existed between the mean cumulative grade point average of later participants in a developmental writing course and nonparticipants. A significant difference was found between later participants (M = 1.68, SD = 1.51) and nonparticipants (M = 2.51, SD = 1.60), t(283) = -4.00, p = .01 at the end of the three-year period. This difference, however, was in the opposite direction--nonparticipants' grade point averages were higher than were later participants' GPA GPA abbr. grade point average Noun 1. GPA - a measure of a student's academic achievement at a college or university; calculated by dividing the total number of grade points received by the total number attempted , on the average. Question 3 English 101 grade. The t test conducted to investigate whether a significant difference existed between the mean English 101 grades of initial participants and nonparticipants showed a significant difference. Initial participants (M = 3.15, SD = 1.47) had a higher mean English 101 grade than the nonparticipants (M = 2.73, SD = 1.63), t(279) = 2.23, p = .03. A t test was conducted to investigate whether a significant difference existed between the mean English 101 grades of later participants and nonparticipants. No significant difference was found between later participants (M = 2.59, SD = 1.14) and nonparticipants (M = 2.77, SD = 1.74), t(50.490) = -.57, p = .57. A one-way ANOVA was conducted to test for differences in English 101 grades among the three groups--initial participants, later participants, and nonparticipants. The results revealed no significant differences at F(2, 12.20) = 2.60, p = .08. Discussion The initial developmental writing course participants did not differ from nonparticipants at a statistically significant level with regard to age, gender, ethnicity, high school experience, writing test score, initial enrollment status, degree-certificate intent, or transfer intent. The later developmental writing course participants did not differ from nonparticipants at a statistically significant level according to the variables of age, gender, high school experience, writing test score, initial enrollment status, degree-certificate intent, or transfer intent. However, the later developemental writing course participants and the nonparticipants did differ significantly according to ethnicity. Thirty-nine percent of the later participants were non-White compared to 24% of the nonparticipants. Because this study was not designed to investigate this phenomenon specifically, it is difficult to conclude the reason behind this pattern. However, this finding does support previous findings by Roueche and Roueche (1999) that a large minority student population is enrolled in developmental coursework. Nevertheless, this finding suggests participation overall is not influenced by these particular variables, with the exception of ethnicity. This finding of no significant difference in most background characteristics supports McCabe and Day's (1998) claim that the developmental education students are in many ways indistinguishable from their peers. This study further suggests that initial participants and later participants are also indistinguishable from their peers. Consequently, no difference in these particular demographic characteristics suggests that some other reason(s) exist(s) as to why the class is not always taken. The reason for avoiding the class altogether or for taking it at a later time could be the stigma stigma: see pistil. Stigma mark of Cain God’s mark on Cain, a sign of his shame for fratricide. [O. T.: Genesis 4:15] scarlet letter related to developmental writing. It appears to be more acceptable by the student to be informed that math is a need area rather than writing. Anecdotal evidence anecdotal evidence, n information obtained from personal accounts, examples, and observations. Usually not considered scientifically valid but may indicate areas for further investigation and research. supports that many students believe that reading and writing are the most basic skills and are uncomfortable being informed that one is a need area for them. A significant relationship was found between initial participation in the developmental writing course and cumulative grade point average. The initial participants had a significantly higher cumulative grade point average than the nonparticipants. These data support a component of the findings by Boylan (1985) that students who participate in developmental education earn higher grades in comparison to their nonparticipating nonparticipating 1. Of, relating to, or being a class of preferred stock that does not have the right to participate with common stock in earnings growth through increases in dividends. Nearly all preferred stock issues are nonparticipating. peers. Moreover, the developmental writing course participants' mean English 101 grades were significantly higher than those of nonparticipants. Boylan and Bonham (1992) and Smith (1997) also found a significant positive relationship between participation in a developmental writing course and grades in freshman composition courses. They found that 90% of the students who completed developmental writing succeeded in freshman composition. Hodges (1998) found that students who completed the developmental studies programs in English were successful in subsequent regular college-level courses, although their grades were lower than those of their "regular" student counterparts. The findings from the present study are congruent con·gru·ent adj. 1. Corresponding; congruous. 2. Mathematics a. Coinciding exactly when superimposed: congruent triangles. b. with previous research discussed in this section that includes both university and community college students and all academic areas of developmental education. Additionally, the present study has provided evidence to suggest that community college developmental education students receive benefits from developmental education in the form of higher freshman composition grades and higher grade point averages. Finally, the present study expands this body of literature as it has focused on one specific population (community college students) and on one specific component of developmental education programs (writing). Later developmental education writing course participants and nonparticipants showed a significant difference regarding cumulative grade point average and no significant difference regarding English 101 grades. The difference in the cumulative grade point average was to the advantage of the nonparticipants. This finding supports the National Association of Developmental Education's position, as well as the claim by Roueche and Roueche (1999), that developmental course work must be completed before students enroll in college level coursework in order to receive the benefits. For those students who took the developmental writing after their first semester, their cumulative grade point average grades were lower than those who never enrolled in the developmental writing course. This finding suggests that the developmental writing course during a later semester does not prove beneficial to the student. The student may view the course as being needed during a later time, but this realization may occur after the student experiences academic failure in English 101 or another course. Often it is then too late for the course to make a difference in the total academic picture. There is not a clear understanding of why this is so of why students are taking the course later. Further comments with regard to what this finding suggests would be speculation at this point; however, it does suggest a direction for future research which will be discussed later. Relationship to Theory The results of this study confirm a positive relationship between participation in a developmental writing course and short- and long-term academic performance. Developmental writing initial participants earned higher English 101 grades and cumulative grade point averages than did nonparticipants. The developmental writing course is designed for the student who is not yet ready for higher-level thinking. As the students gain knowledge and begin to value knowledge, they move from the developmental writing course to college-level work, which parallels the more complex positions of Perry' s scheme. As the students move to the higher levels of thought, they should also be moving closer to their goals. Perry (1999) recognizes that some students are capable of stopping their growth. Due to this possibility, Perry emphasizes the need for administrators, faculty, and staff to take this scheme seriously. He encourages those who have an impact on students' educational journeys to heed the transitions of the students regarding their interpretations as they develop. Perry advocates the understanding of "students in motion" rather than entrapping them in stages. Student development is a dynamic process, and Perry recognizes that as students go through this process, the way they think, their self-concept self-concept n. An individual's assessment of his or her status on a single trait or on many human dimensions using societal or personal norms as criteria. , and the lens through which they view the world change. Implications and Recommendations for Policy and Practice This study examined the relationships between participation in a community college developmental education writing course and short- and long-term academic performance. This study's findings lead to several implications for practice. The results of this study provide valuable insight for community college administration, advisors, and faculty members. Although this study was conducted at one institution, the implications for practice and policy may be helpful to other community colleges that are trying to find ways to improve short- and long-term academic performance. Since the study was conducted at one institution, the results mayor may not apply generally, depending upon the similarities of the institutions and their population. Both the demographics The attributes of people in a particular geographic area. Used for marketing purposes, population, ethnic origins, religion, spoken language, income and age range are examples of demographic data. of the students and the content and instructional delivery of the developmental writing course would need to be taken into consideration. Advisement Deliberation; consultation. A court takes a case under advisement after it has heard the arguments made by the counsel of opposing sides in the lawsuit but before it renders its decision. ADVISEMENT. First of all, placement into developmental writing coursework needs to occur during the initial semester. This study suggests that community college students benefit from institutional placement policies that require students to complete their developmental writing course before engaging in college-level coursework. This study confirmed the conclusions of Roueche and Roueche (1999): Students needing developmental work need to complete developmental courses before being allowed to enroll in college-level courses. Community college advisors can utilize this information regarding the effectiveness of developmental education writing courses as they advise students in course selection. Perhaps this study will aid with the advisement in convincing the students that the course is worth their investment of money and time. The later participants, who took the developmental writing course after their first semester, showed significantly lower mean cumulative grade point averages, yet they persisted for more semesters than did students who never engaged in the course. However, it should also be recognized that some differences might not be due just to the course. A study such as this has limitations that include not being able to control all extraneous variables Extraneous variables are variables other than the independent variable that may bear any effect on the behaviour of the subject being studied. Extraneous variables are often classified into three main types: Community College Administrators Based on the findings of this study, community college administrators need to implement policies and procedures Policies and Procedures are a set of documents that describe an organization's policies for operation and the procedures necessary to fulfill the policies. They are often initiated because of some external requirement, such as environmental compliance or other governmental to ensure that students take developmental writing course work during their initial semester at the institution. Additionally, advisors should be directed not to allow students to make the choice of enrollment or nonenrollment on their own, but rather they should follow the policies and procedures that are in place for making this decision. The students who take the course during their initial semester are making higher grades cumulatively. College administrators are attracted to procedures and policies that are financially beneficial. Developmental writing is an educational opportunity that makes financial sense to community college administrators. The financial sense is embedded Inserted into. See embedded system. in students experiencing success in the credit hours in which they enroll. This situation is not only financially advantageous for colleges but for students as well. Furthermore, an institution must concern itself with more than finances--it must also reflect the mission. Therefore, the college must reflect a culture and environment that provides educational opportunities and services of many types to its diverse community. Developmental coursework provides this educational opportunity. There are many students who would not have the opportunity for a higher education experience if developmental education did not exist. Developmental education is the opportunity for students who may not have acquired the basic skills during their prior educational experience to do so and continue their educational journey with a higher chance of educational success. Faculty Procedures and policies that best prepare students for their courses need to be supported by faculty from across the college. The findings of this study support the informal observation that many faculty members have expressed. That is, students need to be properly placed and not set up for academic failure. Many faculty at the community college have expressed the concern that improperly im·prop·er adj. 1. Not suited to circumstances or needs; unsuitable: improper shoes for a hike; improper medical treatment. 2. placed students in their classrooms make the environment more like a cross-categorical special education class rather than a postsecondary class. It is difficult for faculty to meet the needs of all learners in the classroom when the learners do not have similar basic skills foundations. Implications for Future Research This study examined the results of the relationships between participation in a community college developmental education writing course and short- and long-term academic performance at one rural community college in the Midwest. Although useful information was uncovered Uncovered may refer to:
Implication 1. More research is needed that provides insight into the reasons why particular students (especially non-White) enroll in a developmental writing course during a later semester. To get an accurate picture, it is recommended that data be obtained from students, faculty, advisors, and administrators. Implication 2. The satisfaction levels of initial and later participants as well as those who dropped the course, stopped attending, or failed the course should be examined. These varying perspectives could provide insight as to why some of these participants were unsuccessful. Implication 3. This study should be replicated, measuring outcome data at semester intervals rather than cumulatively. Such a study could identify critical points at which developmental students are most vulnerable for failure. Implication 4. The potential stigma associated with taking developmental writing courses needs to be investigated. According to anecdotal anecdotal /an·ec·do·tal/ (an?ek-do´t'l) based on case histories rather than on controlled clinical trials. anecdotal adjective Unsubstantiated; occurring as single or isolated event. information, it appears that people are less reluctant about taking developmental math courses but are more reluctant about participating in developmental English courses. Individuals who work with developmental students need a better understanding of how these stigmas influence participation and nonparticipation so that they can ensure that all individuals needing the intervention actually receive it. Implication 5. More research is needed that reveals information regarding the 600 students that failed, dropped out, of stopped attending the developmental writing course. A study that compared these students to the participants and nonparticipants along the same independent variables could provide valuable retention insight as it would begin defining demographically who these students are. This issue is an important concern that needs to be investigated, especially since 600 students were identified as needing the course but, for whatever reason, did not complete the course successfully. Concluding Thoughts As access to higher education expands and increases, so do the numbers of students requiring remediation. This study investigated developmental writing within the community college as one specific intervention recommended to improve the performance of these students. The findings from this study support that community colleges need to continue to plan and implement interventions related to developmental writing. This type of intervention does work in helping students meet short-term Short-term Any investments with a maturity of one year or less. short-term 1. Of or relating to a gain or loss on the value of an asset that has been held less than a specified period of time. academic goals in the educational setting. Colleges should continue to investigate such interventions and expand existing interventions that are improving students' performance.
Table 1
Description of Dependent Variables
Variable Description
Age 24 years and younger or 25 years and older
Gender male or female
Ethnicity White or non-White
High School Experience traditional high school diploma or GED
Writing Test Score mean writing test score from COMPASS
Initial Enrollment Status full-time or part-time
Degree-Certificate Intent identification of major declared or
undeclared
Transfer Intent intent to transfer to a four-year
institution or no intent to transfer
Cumulative GPA cumulative GPA at the end of three years
English 101 Grade grade student received in English 101
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Steven Aragon is an Associate Professor in the Department of Human Resource Education at the University of Illinois University of Illinois may refer to:
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