This brief gives an overview of the prevalence, causes, and consequences of college remediation, which aims to improve basic literacy skills among college students.

According to the U.S. Department of Education, 75% of postsecondary institutions in the United States offer remedial courses in mathematics and English,catering to the 28% of first-time college freshmen at both two- and four-year postsecondary institutions who lack the skills necessary to perform college-level work. By the time students reach…

A college degree is more important than ever before for ensuring the economic prosperity of individuals and for society at large. Individuals with a bachelor's degree who worked full time, year-round in 2008 had median earnings of $55,700, compared to the $21,900 earned by their peers with only a high school diploma (Baum, Ma, and Payea 2010).…

This brief studies California's introduction of the Early Assessment Program to bridge the gap between K-12 educational standards and postsecondary education requirements, similar to the Common Core State Standards movement.

In this paper we investigate how participation in the Early Assessment Program, which provides California high school juniors with information about their academic readiness for college-level work at California State University campuses, affects their college-going behavior and need for remediation in college. Using administrative records from…