The view of the government in England is that good English and mathematics knowledge is key to employment and education prospects. Students who do not achieve a GCSE grade 4 or above in these subjects must continue to study English and mathematics alongside their chosen post-16 studies. This article outlines the background to this situation, then…

This dissertation study has sought to understand both the experiences and expectations provided to students participating in a single basic writing course at a two-year college. Analysis of student writing artifacts, with the goal of comparing 21st century student written purpose with the written purposes shown in 19th century African American…

This report was prepared by the Colorado Department of Higher Education (DHE) pursuant to 23-1-113.3 C.R.S. The information in this report is presented to inform the ongoing dialogue regarding preparation for college and the effects of remedial education or developmental education in Colorado. This report documents data gathered by the Colorado…

The Performance Measures for Student Success Report is the North Carolina Community College System's major accountability document. This annual performance report is based on data compiled from the previous year and serves to inform colleges and the public on the performance of our 58 community colleges. In 1993, the State Board of Community…

Washington's Integrated Basic Education and Skills Training Program (I-BEST) quickly teaches students literacy, work, and college-readiness skills so they can move through school and into living wage jobs faster. Pioneered by Washington's community and technical colleges, I-BEST uses a team-teaching approach to combine college-readiness classes…

Accelerating Opportunity (AO) combined integrated career pathways at two-year colleges with team teaching, acceleration strategies, supportive services, and policy changes. It aimed to help low-skilled adults earn occupational credentials, obtain well-paying jobs, and sustain rewarding careers. This final implementation report documents activities…

High school graduates continue to enter post-secondary education lacking in basic mathematical skills and thus not academically prepared to enroll in college-level mathematics courses (ACT, 2010). Although it can be argued that those mathematical concepts should have been mastered in grades K-12, educating those students in basic skills…

There is concern in California community colleges about student success because persistence rates have decreased and graduation rates have declined. Basic skills students are underserved and underprepared, and their success rates are lower than traditional students. Nine California Community College Student Success Task Force recommendations were…

Contextualized teaching and learning (CTL), or the concept of relating subject matter content to meaningful situations that are relevant to students' lives, offers one promising approach to helping students learn more effectively. This brief offers instructors, college leaders, policy makers and funders a high-level summary of the CTL…

In nearly two decades as a community-college leader, Martha J. Kanter has earned acclaim for a strong record helping disabled and low-income students graduate from college and for her bold efforts to overhaul curricula to help more students master basic skills. After working for more than 30 years at nearly every level of the California community…

Discusses the place of basic literacy development in general education. Cites institutional policies and recommendations regarding general education objectives. Reviews the conclusions of a University of Texas study of the literacy demands of community college courses. Offers recommendations for concerted efforts to effect systematic development…

Tarrant County Junior College (TCJC) South Campus in Texas offers a special Basic Studies program for its high-risk students. The program courses are "college level," have transfer credit, and are positive in nature as opposed to the traditional compensatory, remedial approach. There is an in-depth discussion of: the Basic Studies…

The commitment at Tarrant County Junior College (TCJC, Texas) to meet the needs of all students, including marginal or high risk students, is reflected in their Basic Studies Program, described in this report. (See ED 049 761 for the 1970-71 report). The program integrates methods, materials, and curriculum for 36 semester hours of freshman…

The report discusses students' general educational skills development and outcomes assessment at College of DuPage (COD)(Illinois). Since one goal of general education assessment was to provide a comparison to other institutions, selection from among three national standardized tests of general skills was undertaken rather than the development of…

Describes the development of an online developmental reading course with asynchronous interaction among the students and instructor. Recommends using research on effective readers and effective reading instruction to dictate course curriculum and instruction; using online course packages to deliver the course; and piloting the course on-campus…