Beyond the First Semester: Longitudinal Effects of Corequisite Course Design in Texas

• In Event: Design Matters: Implications of Instituitonal Enactment of State and Federal Policies

Abstract

This study examines how variations in the structure and intensity of corequisite developmental education influence long-term student outcomes in Texas public colleges. Using student-level data from over 74,000 first-time-in-college students from 2018–2021, we estimate first-differenced regression models to assess relationships between corequisite course design and credit accumulation over three years. Results indicate that students in non-course competency-based options consistently earned fewer credits than those in concurrent corequisites, particularly in math. Shorter math corequisites (≤1 credit) were associated with greater credit accumulation, while longer (4-credit) versions were linked to weaker outcomes. These findings highlight the importance of aligning corequisite models to student needs and suggest that lighter-touch approaches may support persistence for some populations.

Authors

• Christine Mokher, Florida State University

• Toby Park-Gaghan, Florida State University