In 2009, MDC, the Lumina Foundation for Education and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation announced the Developmental Education Initiative, a $16.5 million program which will support 15 community colleges and five states as they expand groundbreaking remedial education programs that experts say are key to dramatically boosting the college completion rates of low-income students and students of color.
The Developmental Education Initiative is led by MDC and will build on the most promising remedial education programs developed through Achieving the Dream: Community Colleges Count, a six-year-old national initiative to boost graduation rates at community colleges, particularly among low-income students and students of color. The remedial education models implemented by the 15 community colleges receiving these grants represent some of the most promising work in the country aimed at boosting college completion rates among community college students. In addition to anticipated improvements and innovations within selected colleges and states, this three-year initiative will guide long-term investments at both supporting foundations to increase postsecondary-credential attainment and reduce poverty in the United States.
The ability to do college-level work is a fundamental requirement for community college students. But many have to take preparatory courses in math, reading, and writing before taking their first credit-bearing course--and too many students don't finish those courses, quitting college before they ever really start. Nearly 60 percent of students enrolling in the nation's community colleges must take remedial classes, often designated as "developmental education," to build their basic academic skills. For low-income students and students of color, the figure tops 90 percent at some colleges. The goal is to make it possible for them to move quickly into college-level courses, complete them, and gain a certificate or degree that is essential to building prosperous and successful lives.
This work is critical to helping community colleges accomplish their mission of being entry points to higher education and success for millions of Americans. Nearly half of all college students in the United States attend community colleges, and they serve particularly high proportions of low-income students and students of color. They enroll 45 percent of all undergraduate students, including 47 percent of all African-American students, 55 percent of all Hispanics, and 57 percent of all Native Americans. They serve large numbers of low-income students and working adults. While community colleges do an excellent job of providing postsecondary educational opportunity to a broad population, access does not always lead to success. Among community college students seeking an associate degree or higher, only 45 percent earn a degree or transfer to a four-year institution within six years of enrollment. Helping students progress through developmental education more quickly--or bypass it altogether--increases the likelihood they'll stay in school and complete higher-level courses and will reduce their financial burden, since the sooner they are able to take credit-bearing courses, the more quickly they will be able to move toward degree completion.
For more information, please visit http://www.deionline.org.