Writing center director Brittney Davidson, left, talks about an upcoming assignment with student Da’V Moore in the writing center at Chattanooga State Technical Community College on Friday, April 8, 2016, in Chattanooga, Tenn.Full report
To view Columbia University’s full report on the cost-effectiveness of Tennessee’s corequisite model check outhttp://ccrc.tc.columbia.edu/publications/corequisite-remediation-cost-effective-findings-tennessee.html
After state officials found too many students enrolled in Tennessee’s community colleges getting stalled in remedial courses and not earning the college credits needed to graduate, they addressed the problem by restructuring the entire program last fall.
And it’s working.
The Tennessee Board of Regents changed how students take remedial classes in math and writing at community colleges and universities. Now data show sharp increases in the number of students passing the courses, and greater cost-effectiveness.
Education officials say other states struggling with similar problems are looking to Tennessee for answers. Last fall’s restructuring allowed freshmen deemed unprepared for college-level coursework because of low test scores to take for-credit courses, while enrolling them in a learning support class to help them master the material.