Leading Developmental Education Redesign to Increase Student Success and Reduce Costs Treva G. Berryman Tennessee Board of Regents Paula Myrick Short Tennessee Board of Regents The Tennessee Board of Regents (TBR) is the sixth largest system of public higher education in the nation, serving over 200,000 students in its 6 universities, 13 community colleges, and 27 technology centers. Since the establishment of the formal developmental studies program in 1984, all TBR universities and community colleges followed the same policy for assessment, placement, and remediation before students enrolled in college level programs. For 20 years, the process and progress for remediation changed very little. In 2005, TBR reported that 60% of all TBR students were placed into at least one developmental studies course. This placement rate exceeded national estimates of 28% of first-time college students who are placed in a developmental studies course. The impact was more profound at two-year community colleges where 74% of students required some level of remediation. The high percentage of students in developmental studies has become a significant financial issue for both the TBR systems and students enrolled at its institutions, costing approximately $25 million per year. Costs to students ranged from over $1,300 for two developmental studies courses over a single term to over $4,100 for a student requiring a full year of developmental studies courses. The TBR recognized that the current developmental studies approach was a financial drain on students and institutions. If placed at the lowest level of developmental studies, students could be required to take up to 24 semester credit hours of courses in reading, writing, math, and study skills before moving on to credit-bearing courses that count towards a degree. This approach did not effectively move students on to college-level coursework in a timely fashion and many students failed to complete the developmental requirements. 106 Enrollment Management Journal Winter 2010
Leading Developmental Education Redesign to Increase Student Success and Reduce Costs Demographic projections indicate that there will be an increase of up to 30% of students coming to TBR institutions in the next two decades who will need remediation courses. However, increased resources to accommodate those demands are not anticipated. To provide for stable economic development and meet the needs of Tennesseans, a more effective and efficient way to educate more citizens is of critical importance. As a result, the TBR Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, Dr. Paula Myrick Short, worked with the Board to include the redesign of developmental studies as a key focus in the system s strategic plan for 2005 2010. The governing Board s mandate to address the issue of improving developmental studies was the first critical step toward making the redesign initiative successful. In October 2006, the Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education (FIPSE) of the U.S. Department of Education awarded TBR a $739,000 three-year grant for the Academic Preparation Initiative. The project involved a comprehensive revision of the developmental studies program for math and English at the six universities and 13 community colleges in the TBR system. The project utilized methodology developed by the National Center for Academic Transformation (NCAT), led by Executive Director, Dr. Carol Twigg. The process includes a series of workshops, along with the use of NCAT forms for planning, evaluating, reporting, and adjusting the plan, with the goal of incorporating the use of technology to enhance learning, increase retention, and reduce costs. Planning resources to facilitate course redesign and many examples of successful models, including the Tennessee initiative, are available on the NCAT website (www.thencat.org). NCAT and the Education Commission of the States (ECS) partnered with TBR to facilitate the redesign of developmental education. Specific objectives of the TBR initiative are to establish a continuous improvement process and incorporate the use of new technologies to redesign developmental education so that it will: Be replicable and scalable for multiple settings; Improve the quality of learning and assessment; Demonstrate significant cost savings for both the institution and for students; Increase retention; Maintain a commitment to access; and Be sustainable with a solid fiscal outlook and enhanced public support. Enrollment Management Journal Winter 2010 107
The Process of Course Redesign During Spring 2007, all 19 TBR institutions completed an initial assessment of existing Developmental Studies programs. All institutions established institutional teams to undertake the redesign of course sequences in remedial and developmental mathematics, reading, and writing. Each department was asked to think carefully about which course sequences (i.e., reading, writing, and/or math), were good candidates for redesign at their institution and to respond to the questions included in the NCAT Course Readiness Criteria (readers can access the criteria without charge at www.thencat.org). Completing the readiness criteria enabled each institution to assess collectively its strengths and weaknesses and to gain an understanding of what is needed to address gaps in its preparation of pilot proposals. Two NCAT workshops were offered to provide training to faculty representing the 19 TBR institutions. In July 2007, after the workshops, 17 of the 19 TBR institutions submitted a total of 28 proposals to conduct pilot projects to redesign developmental courses or programs. As institutions were able to submit proposals in the respective areas of reading, writing, and math, some institutions prepared multiple submissions. Six institutions were funded approximately $40,000 each through the FIPSE grant to conduct three semesters of pilots. The NCAT process requires a pilot component as part of the redesign process. The pilot projects provide the data for informed decision making and demonstrate that education attainment can be made more effective and efficient through the use of new technologies and different models of delivery. During the course of the project, TBR and ECS staff also work with an internal task force to 1) collect and review data about the current state of its remedial and developmental curriculum, with an emphasis on ascertaining levels of student success and costs for both institutions and students; 2) align curricular expectations from early high school through the first-year college-level courses in math and English, with an emphasis on placement and outcomes; and 3) develop content expectations for modularizing this curriculum such that students can be assessed and placed appropriately depending on their level of achievement with the goal of streamlining the ways in which diverse students move through the curriculum. 108 Enrollment Management Journal Winter 2010
Leading Developmental Education Redesign to Increase Student Success and Reduce Costs The Developmental Studies Redesign Task Force is a TBR appointed task force and the internal steering committee for the FIPSE project. The Task Force has authority to recommend policy changes for developmental studies to the Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs in the TBR system. Final approval of those recommended policy changes rests with the Tennessee Board of Regents and its shared governance structure. As the 18-member TBR Redesign Task Force worked to establish a consistent conceptual framework, NCAT simultaneously worked with TBR institutions to redesign the way in which they offered their current curricula with an emphasis on modularization and the use of new technologies. Broader Public Policy Context As a partner, the Education Commission of the States (ECS) is contributing to the success of the project by communicating lessons learned to education and policy leaders throughout the United States. The FIPSE grant required this national focus to ensure that other states would benefit from the TBR initiative. ECS also provides access to the ECS policy research and analysis capacity by compiling resources to inform the work of the individual project sites, as well as the initiative as a whole. It is often helpful to know what is working or not working well in other states. ECS staff developed an interactive web site for the initiative with the goal of providing a one-stop resource for project participants, stakeholders, and other interested parties. The Web site, http://tnredesign.org/, contains additional information about the redesign of developmental studies in Tennessee. Redesign Pilot Projects Four of the six pilot projects are providing outstanding models of success. Two of the initial pilots did not demonstrate significant improvement in student success. However, it is important to recognize that a pilot is conducted for the purpose of experimentation. All of the pilots, including the six funded by the FIPSE grant and others supported by institutional funding, contributed to the redesign initiative by providing insight into challenges faced in developing and implementing system-wide change. Enrollment Management Journal Winter 2010 109
How Successful are These Four Pilots? Cleveland State Community College (CSCC) won the 2009 Bellwether Award for Innovation in Instructional Programs, and Jackson State Community College won the 2010 Bellwether Award for Innovation in Instructional Programs and Services, both for the redesign of developmental math. CSCC also was awarded the 2010 Cross Papers Fellowship from the League of Innovation for its math redesign. Northeast State Community College (NSCC) redesigned developmental reading and is working closely with a software company to develop enhancements. Austin Peay State University (APSU) developed a new model which NCAT has now adopted and added to the five other models developed through the NCAT redesign process (available at http://www. thencat.org/planres/r2r_modcrsred.htm). These TBR pilots and others demonstrated that student success can be increased significantly while reducing instructional cost per student. The pilots demonstrated a savings ranging from 19% to 51% and in each case, a significant improvement in student scores and retention. TBR Institutions Develop Unique Models Austin Peay State University (APSU) was the only four-year institution to be funded through the FIPSE grant. APSU established just-in-time remediation for math. The institution is now engaged in a similar process to test this approach in reading and writing. Students needing developmental math instruction are required to enroll in Supplemental Learning Assistance (SLA) supported sections of college level courses. The SLA model links traditional instruction with mandatory, student-led workshops. Technology is used in the workshops to individualize instruction. Students earn core credit while completing developmental requirements. APSU identified specific competencies needed for the courses that students typically take as their first college-level math course. The curriculum was aligned so that these competencies could be the focus of remediation just prior to needing them in the college-level course. After three semesters of pilots, there was a significant increase in both student success rate (grade of C or better) and semester-to-semester retention, with success in the first college-level course increasing from 59.9% to 63.6%. Over the past year, the progress has not only been sustained, but continues to improve. The SLA model can decrease costs for the university and for students, reduce class 110 Enrollment Management Journal Winter 2010
Leading Developmental Education Redesign to Increase Student Success and Reduce Costs space requirements, increase student success, and increase retention. More time is needed to demonstrate the overall impact on graduation rate. Developmental courses are no longer offered at APSU. Effective fall semester 2011, new legislation requires that no public four-year institution in Tennessee will offer developmental courses. Northeast State Community College (NSCC) redesigned developmental reading using the emporium model. Student attendance in the Reading Center is mandatory and based on the NCAT principle that Students don t do optional. Evidence shows that meaningful redesign must identify ways to require increased student effort and reward it appropriately. Therefore, a mechanism must be established for documenting and rewarding attendance and timely progress toward the completion of modules or whatever the intervention requires. In the lab, students work though pen and paper assignments, as well as computer assignments. Software-guided assignments are required and faculty members provide individual assistance to support the student whenever guidance is needed. At the end of the pilot, student success in reading, as measured by a C or better, increased from 52% in the traditional delivery to 58% in the redesigned delivery. Students with a grade of A increased from 14% to 30%. The cost of instruction was reduced by 51%. The redesign typically results in modularization of content delivery and may result in an intervention other than a course. One of the many challenges in the redesign process is developing a mechanism to award credit, as required for use of federal financial aid, when the process of remediation does not fit the typical course delivery model. The redesign in math at Jackson State Community College (JSCC) established the emporium model to provide opportunities for mastery learning, guided selfpaced learning activities, on-demand assistance from faculty and/or professional tutors, and the use of a customized textbook and software for instruction. A shell course was created for the purpose of registration. Students must enroll each semester until the required competencies are mastered. Students may start and end with any module based upon assessment and diagnosis. Specific competencies are defined within each module. JSCC surveyed faculty in all disciplines to identify the competencies that the faculty believe are necessary for success in the discipline-specific college-level curricula. Faculty from only Enrollment Management Journal Winter 2010 111
7 of 40 different degree programs believed that all competencies required under the traditional, lecture-based developmental studies program, are necessary for student success in their specific discipline. The cost-per-student was reduced from $177 to $141, a 20% decrease. Cleveland State Community College (CSCC) redesigned developmental math using the emporium model in a similar fashion as JSCC. However, CSCC defined modules, class requirements, and policies using a different approach. Faculty prepared mini video lectures to incorporate into the software, thus providing more consistency in instruction. The redesign was so successful that the faculty decided to revise the college-level math courses using the same approach and revised the faculty role. Instead of preparing for lectures to meet the varied needs of a diverse class, the faculty can now address the individual needs of students. Contrary to the belief that technology will decrease time with faculty, if used correctly, it will enable the faculty to spend more one-onone time with the student to meet his or her specific needs. By allowing the software to do the bulk of the grading and eliminating time required for lecture preparation, faculty have more time to do what they do best teach. Class size was reduced; however, faculty productivity increased because the faculty members worked with 10 course sections, rather than five. Scheduling was easier and access enhanced because different courses were able to meet in the lab at the same time. The lab typically had two or three faculty members in the lab to assist students as needed. The success rate in developmental math courses increased from 54% to 72% as a result of redesign at CSCC. The redesigned college-level courses also demonstrated improved student learning. The most important statistic is that 33% more students passed the next college-level math course after having completed the redesigned developmental math course when compared with students who went through the traditional approach to remediation. Faculty members insist that the rigor and quality of the courses, for both developmental and college level, was maintained or increased as a result of the redesign. As a result of the increased student success, the number of students progressing on to college level math courses increased significantly. In fact, more students passed a college level math course in Spring 2009 than were enrolled in a college level math course in Spring 2008. 112 Enrollment Management Journal Winter 2010
Leading Developmental Education Redesign to Increase Student Success and Reduce Costs In addition to higher success rates in developmental math, the emporium model redesign at CSCC reduced scheduling roadblocks for students by allowing the college to offer more sections and better utilize space. As a result of the continuous enrollment plan, 63 students completed multiple math courses in Fall 2008. Faculty productivity increased despite a decrease in class size. Weekly contact time with the students increased from 15 to 20 hours per week. Adjunct faculty members are no longer needed and copying costs decreased significantly due to online testing. This resulted in an annual savings of approximately $51,000, or a 19% reduction in overall instructional costs. Conclusions The TBR Academic Preparation Initiative provided valuable data to guide a system-wide redesign of developmental education and to document best practices when implementing the redesign approach. The research has been shared with many institutions of higher education in other states and is being used by publishing companies to improve textbooks and software. In addition, presentations have been given to many national groups including the National Conference for State Legislators, the National Association for System Heads, and several state departments of higher education. The revised policy for developmental education in the TBR system establishes a continuous improvement process that provides flexibility in delivery but requires increased accountability for student success and retention and for efficient use of resources. While little changed in the way remediation has been provided over the past 25 years, we anticipated that the redesigned approach will ensure that institutions continually monitor and evaluate the impact of the learning support provided to lesser prepared college students. As new technologies are developed and skill sets change, the redesign process will make it easier to implement changes necessary to maintain best practices in the delivery of developmental education. The headline in the July 2009 Newsletter for the National Center for Academic Transformation (NCAT) read Tennessee Projects Revolutionize Developmental Education. Indeed, pilots have been conducted by faculty across the TBR Enrollment Management Journal Winter 2010 113
system over the past three years with results that will help improve access and overall success for students in Tennessee. The TBR initiative is now serving as a model for other states, even as the 19 TBR institutions work toward full implementation of the developmental education redesign by Fall 2013. About the Authors: Treva G. Berryman is the associate vice chancellor for academic affairs at the Tennessee Board of Regents. Paula Myrick Short is the vice chancellor for Academic Affairs at the Tennessee Board of Regents. Address correspondence to: Paula Myrick Short, Tennessee Board of Regents, 1415 Murfreesboro Pike, Suite 324, Nashville, Tennessee 37217-2833, paula.short@tbr.edu 114 Enrollment Management Journal Winter 2010