The growing number of underprepared students entering two- and four-year colleges and universities is the number one challenge currently facing the field of higher education. According to the American Association of Community Colleges, 41% of all undergraduates and 39% of first-time freshman consider community college their "go-to" higher education option. Therefore, this study examines two English developmental education strategies employed in one of the largest community colleges in the mid-Atlantic: Basic English and Integrated Reading and Writing non-credit bearing courses. Although students are entering these courses with the expectation of filling academic gaps, according to University of Texas mathematician Uri Treisman, these developmental strategies have not been adequately tested to scale. While college open-door policies admit students with academic gaps, scholars claim there are also gaps in the developmental education program. In the meantime, students are paying full tuition for non-credit bearing courses, resulting in these courses becoming "burial grounds" with dismally high student dropout rates. This quantitative research assessed success rates for both courses to determine whether either course prepared the student for English credit-bearing gateway courses or for degree completion. Binary logistic regression was used to determine whether student success in the two developmental English courses were predictors of degree completion within three years. The findings revealed that (RQ1) slightly more students were successful in Basic English than in the Integrated English Reading and Writing (IERW) developmental course; (RQ2) found a relationship between success in developmental English and degree completion within three years; (RQ3) showed a weak relationship between success in developmental English and degree completion within three years. The results of the study revealed which one of the two developmental strategies under study more effectively increased the percentage of degree completion within a three-year period. Essentially, those community college students who enrolled in and passed the IERW developmental English strategy were 5.176 times more likely to graduate in three years than those who did not pass the IERW course. By a lesser degree, students who were successful in the Basic English strategy were 2.076 times more likely to complete the degree in three years than those who were not successful in Basic English. Although more students passed the Basic English course, the IERW course was more successful in graduating students within the designated three-year period. The findings will offer a solution to impact best high school practices, placement strategies, college faculty training, wrap-around support systems, and understanding the socio-demographic characteristics of underprepared students. The findings of this study may shed light on the perplexing question as to whether underprepared students are significantly assisted by the developmental strategies and prepared to enroll in college-level courses and complete their degrees/certificates. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2222/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]