Dive Brief:
- Colleges across the country are updating their remediation programs in an attempt to improve retention, with some shifting to corequisite remediation, adding summer bridge programs and/or adjusting the placement process.
- University Business reports corequisite remediation gets students into credit-bearing courses sooner and has shown immediate, striking results in the portion of students who go on to introductory courses in math and English.
- Summer bridge programs and early college partnerships ensure students are more prepared when the first semester starts, and new placement processes that help students brush up on their skills before taking the actual test can do a better job of getting students into the right courses.
Dive Insight:
An overwhelming percentage of students who first test into remedial education upon enrolling in college ever graduate. Colleges have recognized that is unacceptable, and, within a more general focus on retention, are making changes to remedial education. With support from Complete College America, five states have taken the corequisite remediation model to scale across their community college systems. These states have seen 30-40% jumps in the portion of students who go on to take introductory courses in Math and English following remediation.
In 2013, Florida lawmakers banned requirements for remedial education in an attempt to help students save money and stay motivated in college. So far, that hasn’t helped academically. Addressing college readiness by improving remediation plans seems to be a better path forward.