Chaffey College’s Long Journey to Success
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Chaffey College in California's Inland Empire is renowned for its "risk tolerant change-oriented culture" and impressive student support programs, which have led to exceptional outcomes for Chaffey students. In this working paper, researchers visited Chaffey and other California colleges to examine the quality of instruction in basic skills and the integration of student support services. Chaffey's success story highlights the importance of developing a broad structure necessary for success both in developmental education and for all students.
Their Heterogeneity and Readiness
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This paper examines basic skills education in California Community Colleges and the heterogeneity of students in developmental classrooms. Some students simply need to brush up on existing skills while others have learning disabilities or mental health issues. The paper argues that colleges need to be further differentiated to respond to the variety of student needs and offers suggestions for doing so.
Their Possibilities and Limits
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The voluntary nature of student support services in California Community Colleges means that many students who need them do not use them, due to competing demands or stigma. The lack of funding for student services and the prevalence of adjunct faculty further complicates their use. Challenging conventional practices and norms of community colleges could make the entire enterprise of developmental education more effective.
The Landscape and the Locus of Change
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This PACE working paper examines six types of innovations to improve developmental education in California Community Colleges: individual practitioner efforts, departmental developments, learning communities, K-12 initiatives, Faculty Interest Groups, and innovation from the middle. The authors find that there are many good ideas for improving developmental education, but success depends on nurturing the right conditions for innovation. Innovation from the middle, with the joint efforts of senior-level faculty and middle-level administrators, seems necessary for widespread reform.
The Dominance of Remedial Pedagogy
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This working paper examines the instructional triangle of basic skills education in California Community Colleges through classroom observations in 13 colleges. The study identifies the prevalence of remedial pedagogy, which relies on sub-skill drill and practice and lacks connections to subsequent courses or adult roles. This approach is ineffective and violates precepts of effective instruction. The paper outlines alternatives to remedial pedagogy, including hybrid and constructivist teaching. These alternatives are further developed in Working Paper 3.
Framing the Issues in Community Colleges
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This paper series addresses the issue of basic skills instruction in California Community Colleges. The problem is twofold: a high proportion of students enter college needing developmental courses, and these students are unlikely to move into college-level work. The research focuses on instructional issues, with observations and interviews to understand classroom and institutional settings. The subsequent papers in the series will cover various hypotheses for why success rates in basic skill instruction are not higher.