IHEP

Getting Back to Basics?:
Remedial Education and College Opportunity

Project Summary

New England Resource Center for Higher Education and
The Institute for Higher Education Policy

Efforts to reevaluate and reform remedial education have increased significantly in recent
years, in states ranging from Florida, to New York, to California, to Massachusetts, to Texas. The Institute for Higher Education Policy and the New England Resource Center for Higher Education (NERCHE)—with support from the Ford Foundation— examined how changing remediation policies have been affecting the organization and delivery of remedial education, admissions practices, and the allocation of financial aid on campuses, particularly for low-income and minority students in the New England region. This project, which ran from September 2001 through August 2002, combined quantitative analysis, case studies, and small discussion groups. Project goals were to assess changes at the institutional level that have occurred in light of the shifting policy environment, identify best practices and innovations, and improve the public discourse on the issues associated with remedial education. The components of this project include:

Extensive Background Research: An overview of recent national studies on remedial education, a review of the remedial education policies in all 50 states, and an analysis of the U.S. Department of Education's NCES datasets was conducted. Particular emphasis was placed on examining recent policy issues related to remedial education in the 6 New England states, and their effects on college opportunities for low-income and minority students.

Consultations with the New England Higher Education Community: The consultations were based primarily on NERCHE's Think Tank meetings with institutional leaders, and included a mix of college administrators, faculty, and staff. Particular attention was paid to what is known about how policy changes have demonstrated real impacts on college campuses.

"Focus Group Questionnaire"

Campus Site Visits: Project staff will visit institutions to examine how remedial education is implemented on those campuses. Of particular interest are those institutions where policies may have changed or are proposed to change, and what effects these changes may have on administrators and faculty and their campus-wide practices, as well as on other campus policies, such as admissions standards and financial aid packaging.

The Final Report: "Developmental Education and College Opportunity in New England: Lessons for a National Study of State and System Policy Impact" may be downloaded.

For additional information please contact: Jessica Shedd, Research Analyst at the Institute for Higher Education Policy at jshedd@ihep.org or Thara Fuller, Program Coordinator at NERCHE at thara.fuller@umb.edu