Hitting Their Stride: The Next Chapter of Developmental Education Reform

Developmental education has long been a critical issue in higher education. Historical approaches required students to take a multi-semester sequence of non-credit-bearing courses. The year or more spent in developmental education left many students discouraged and financially strapped. Those who dropped out left with high levels of debt and no college credit to show for it.

The following two-part series Hitting Their Stride: The Next Chapter of Developmental Education Reform, is a two-part series that uncovers and understands how schools have responded to this cycle by adopting new policies and practices aimed at reducing the amount of time students spend in developmental education courses. The goal is offer insights to help stakeholders make informed decisions toward improving and advancing the state of developmental education.

Part 1: Faculty and Administrator Perceptions

Part I evaluates administrator and faculty attitudes toward recent policy implementation in developmental education, while also highlighting key areas that have either driven success on campus or require greater attention. 309 administrators and 1,765 faculty members participated in the 2019 Hitting Their Stride survey, with titles ranging from professors of math, English, and college success to deans and department chairs nationwide. Survey results paint a picture of similarities and differences between faculty and administrators and provide a snapshot of the current landscape of developmental education policy implementation on campus.

Part 2: Supplier Landscape

Part II distills insights from the same survey as well as from more than 10 interviews with suppliers, vendors, and thought leaders within the developmental education field. In Part II, we analyze the health of each market within developmental education and provide insight into the reach, adoption, and awareness of the tools and services that shape the product landscape.