Identifies five issues concerning remedial and developmental education: what is the appropriate educational level and sector for offering remediation, how to provide effective programs for diverse students, inconsistent policies and practices, to what extent placement in remedial courses should be mandatory or advisory, and whether basic skills…

Describes the Survey of Reading Strategies (SORS) instrument, which is intended to measure adolescent and adult ESL students' metacognitive awareness and perceived use of reading strategies while reading academic materials such as textbooks. Discusses the development of SORS and offers guidance for using it as a means of raising learner awareness…

In spring 1995, William Rainey Harper College in Illinois surveyed graduates from 1994 to determine their current status, the frequency with which they used cognitive skills, the degree to which they were prepared in the skills, and their evaluation of their placement in English courses. Of the 1,437 graduates from 1994, a random sample of 471…

This paper focuses on the need for continuous evaluation in community college curriculum. During the process of analyzing and updating instruction, curriculum objectives should be recognized, especially: (1) knowledge objectives, which include relevant facts, concepts, and generalizations; (2) skills objectives, such as critical and creative…

In an effort to reduce attrition and save valuable educational assets, the Developmental Education Department at El Paso Community College developed two new 3-hour courses, which students can enroll in and complete at any time during the year. The two courses, College Prep Reading Development and College Prep Study Skills Development, were…

In spring 1987, a study was conducted at St. Louis Community College at Florissant Valley (Missouri) to identify the basic skills necessary for the successful completion of the course, "Fundamentals of Chemistry." The study evaluated the relationship between performance on the Nelson-Denny Reading Test (NDRT), the Numerical Reasoning…

Several years ago, the English faculty at the Schuylkill Campus of Pennsylvania State University entered into a cooperative venture with the campus learning center to use computer-assisted instruction in the basic rules of grammar as part of the remedial English course. The software used for the lab is the Houghton Mifflin English Microlab…

The Testing Center at Central Piedmont Community College (CPCC) in North Carolina, Educational Testing Service, and the College Board are participating jointly in pilot and field testing Computerized Placement Tests (CPTs). CPTs, which assess communications, reading, and mathematics skills, have the following benefits: (1) students may take the…

In fall 1985, the San Jose/Evergreen Community College District began using a computerized prerequisite checking system to strengthen academic standards. Over the next 4 years, the computerized system shifted from an informational mode, which merely indicated whether a student met course prerequisites or not, to a lock out mode, which prevented a…

A description is provided of the work of the Student Assessment Task Force, which was charged by the Washington State Student Services Commission Executive Board to "provide leadership to the state system on the topic of assessment." Following background information on the charge of the task force and a statement of its objectives and…

With declines in reading skills and increases in the standards for literacy, illiteracy has become a growing national problem. The task of dealing with illiteracy ranges from educating those adults whose basic skills are below the eighth grade level to teaching those who are struggling to learn English as their second language to serving those…

This address by the Chancellor of the Los Angeles Community College District (LACCD) discusses recent and long-term changes in the district's programs, educational quality, and financial standing, and suggests means for future improvements. First, the paper highlights the district's achievements in improving transfer education and developing new…

Drawing from an extensive literature review and interviews with faculty and administrators in the Los Angeles Community College District (LACCD), this study report examines successful practices in basic skills instruction in community colleges. After providing background on the importance of basic skills programs in light of the increasing number…

In fall 1983, a survey was conducted to determine the extent of basic skills assessment of incoming students conducted in Illinois public community colleges. Questionnaires were sent to 50 community colleges, requesting information on the skills assessed, the time of assessment, and the instruments used. Study findings, based on responses from 44…

At the completion of the fall semester, 1979, a study was conducted at Essex County College to determine the status of the 182 students who had received an "R" grade in a basic communications skills course (COM-080) in fall, 1978. The "R" grade is given to students who have made progress in a developmental course, but who have not attained "C"…