Does Developmental Education Meet Student Needs?

Many students graduating from Texas high schools, especially those from disadvantaged backgrounds, are underprepared for the rigor of college coursework, and they need extra help. Institutions of higher learning across the state have attempted to provide that help in the form of developmental education (DE)- supplemental instruction designed to fill in crucial gaps in a student's knowledge base. Since DE is designed to serve such a crucial function for students who have less than adequate preparation, it is particularly disconcerting news that DE programs appear, in many cases, to be failing those they are intended to serve. The students who are the least prepared and the most disadvantaged languish in college classrooms, taking courses that do not count for credit. More than 70% will never finish their degree. A review of the existing literature revealed that few researchers had talked systematically to students in DE courses about their experiences. That seemed odd, since the students are the customers of the DE process, and the ones most affected by the success or failure of these programs. A mixed methods study of DE students could offer a new, potentially insightful, angle on the problems facing DE programs in Texas. By incorporating student voices and approaching their experience from a variety of research angles, this project seeks to add to the ongoing conversation about appropriate public policy in higher education.The Greater Texas Foundatio