Remediation in the First Year of College: Access to Opportunity or Barrier to Success?

• In Event: 31.092 - Poster Session 5
  In Poster Session: 31.092-7 - Poster Session: College Student Learning and Development (1)

Abstract

This study examines the role of remedial or developmental education in the first year of college upon postsecondary outcomes. Over the past decade the debate over the value of remedial course offerings and whether they should be removed from postsecondary institutions has amplified in the literature. We consider whether participation in remediation predicts retention, graduation, and academic performance. We further examine whether remediation in reading has more deleterious consequences than math or writing. A national data set of four year institutions was utilized and multilevel modeling was employed. Since several other factors could account for future postsecondary outcomes, several student and institutional level covariates were included to provide a rigorous test of these relationships.

Authors

• Kara Smith, The College Board

• Jeffrey Nagle Wyatt, The College Board