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Are those support labs going to be mandatory? Just wondering…. Kathryn Van Wagoner Director, Developmental Mathematics Weber State University On 1/23/14 5:45 AM, "Norman Stahl" <[log in to unmask]> wrote: >Miss. community colleges eye remedial courses > > > >By Associated Press, Published January 22, 2014 > > > > > > > > > >A new structure for remedial courses at Mississippi's 15 community >colleges could help more students graduate more quickly. >The centerpiece of the model is an effort to move some students who >previously would have been forced to take a remedial course for no >academic credit into credit-bearing English and math courses. The >colleges would provide supporting labs to boost those borderline >students' performance, in hopes of helping them succeed. >"The sequence of remedial education can sometimes be a barrier to >students being successful," Jones County Junior College President Jesse >Smith told a joint meeting of the state House and Senate Colleges and >Universities committees this week. >Community colleges voted to adopt the changes in November and will roll >them out in fall 2014. Lawmakers, who have long questioned why the state >has to spend so much on catch-up courses, applauded the effort. >"I think what it will do is make things more efficient for students and >make sure they get that degree," said Senate Universities and Colleges >Committee Chairman John Polk. >A closer look >In the fall 2012 semester, 20,000 of Mississippi's 76,000 community >college students took at least one remedial course. Officials estimated >that in 2010, Mississippi spent $25 million teaching developmental >classes to community college students, and another $10 million teaching >them to students at universities. >Most of the students taking catch-up courses are recent high school >graduates who aren't prepared for college. State Superintendent Carey >Wright says new tougher courses being adopted at the K-12 level will >hopefully cut that number. Nationwide, more than 25 percent of remedial >students are over age 30, possibly having forgotten high school lessons. >The move comes after national and state studies questioned the >traditional remedial model, finding that students with borderline >qualifications appeared to do no better after taking remedial courses >than those who took for-credit courses. But making students take more >courses makes college take longer and cost more. >"Factors that extend the time it takes students to complete degrees are >also associated with a lower probability of degree completion," >researchers for the Future of Childrenproject, an effort of Princeton >University and the Brookings Institution, wrote last year. >A different approach >The community colleges agreed to stop offering six courses and realign >eight others. Any student with a high school diploma or equivalent can >still enroll in community college. But those scoring below a 17 in >English and a 19 in math are likely to be steered to remedial work. Many >of those, though, will be enrolled in credit-bearing courses for English >composition I and college algebra. But they will be required or strongly >encouraged to also enroll in an English and reading lab course or an >algebra lab course. >Smith said those non-credit courses would meet 100 minutes a week, with >students using computer programs and tutors to focus on specific >weaknesses in each subject. >Research has found that such "mainstreaming" of remedial students by >placing them in college level courses has positive effects, if they get >support. >Students who are more poorly prepared will still be assigned to >lower-level remedial course, which they will have to complete before >taking credit courses. But Smith said that even for them, the new model >could cut a semester off time in community college. > >Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material >may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. > > > > >Norman Stahl >[log in to unmask] > > >~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ >To access the LRNASST-L archives or User Guide, or to change your >subscription options (including subscribe/unsubscribe), point your web >browser to >http://www.lists.ufl.edu/archives/lrnasst-l.html > >To contact the LRNASST-L owner, email [log in to unmask] ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ To access the LRNASST-L archives or User Guide, or to change your subscription options (including subscribe/unsubscribe), point your web browser to http://www.lists.ufl.edu/archives/lrnasst-l.html To contact the LRNASST-L owner, email [log in to unmask]