Developmental education is critical in the future of higher education and for the large numbers of college and university students entering higher education. Developmental education sometimes carries a negative connotation, one that is misappropriated to developmental education itself, the students, and the colleges or universities they attend. Educators agree that developmental education is needed in higher education and is often used to address deficiencies in student learning. Furthermore, the process of undertaking developmental education by higher education institutions is a growing issue for educators and legislators. Developmental education has been shown to have a positive effect; however, much research deals with developmental education's adverse effects on students, families, and colleges or universities. This study is unique in that it explored the effectiveness of English developmental education courses at a large North Carolina Community College to determine the effectiveness of the college-level English pass rate using RISE as a placement model. [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.]