Absence of conflict of interest.
Citation
Weisburst, E., Daughetry, L., Miller, T., Martorell, P., & Coisairt, J. (2017). Innovative pathways through developmental education and postsecondary success: An examination of developmental math interventions across Texas. The Journal of Higher Education, 88(2), 183-209. doi: 10.1080/00221546.2016.1243956
Highlights
- The study’s objective was to examine the impact of two developmental math courses on community college students’ rates of passing, enrollment, completion, persistence, transfer, and graduation. This summary focuses on the accelerated developmental courses.
- This study used a nonexperimental design to compare the outcomes of students who participated in the accelerated developmental courses to those who did not. The study reported outcomes one semester, one year, and two years after students first enrolled in the courses.
- The study found that enrollment in the accelerated developmental courses was associated with a significant increase in passing rates in the developmental math course after one semester and a significant increased likelihood of enrolling and passing the college-level math course after one semester and each subsequent year. Accelerated course enrollment was also significantly associated with an increased likelihood of graduating after two years.
- The quality of causal evidence presented in this study is moderate because it was based on a well-implemented nonexperimental design. This means we are somewhat confident that the estimated effects are attributable to the accelerated developmental courses, but other factors might also have contributed.
Intervention Examined
Accelerated Developmental Education
Features of the Intervention
In 2009, Texas began reforms to their developmental education through a pilot program administered by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB). The accelerated developmental math courses contained the same content and rigor as the standard developmental math courses, but were designed to be completed in less than a semester. Although accelerated developmental math courses were offered at 40 of the 50 Texas community college systems, the specific format and length of the accelerated courses varied by college. Most of the accelerated courses had the same content and curricula as the full-semester developmental math course but achieved acceleration by requiring more class time for fewer weeks. Some colleges required supplemental computer lab sessions to accompany the accelerated courses and others were self-paced courses using only computer-based coursework overseen by instructors or tutors. There was no requirement or counseling for students on who should enroll in the accelerated developmental math courses—students self-selected into the accelerated or non-accelerated courses.
Features of the Study
The study used a nonexperimental design to compare the outcomes of students taking accelerated developmental math to students taking standard developmental math at community colleges across Texas. Outcomes of interest were passing the developmental math course, attempting and passing a first level college math course, persistence, transferring to a four-year school, and graduation. Study participants were first time college students who were enrolled in the first developmental math course between Fall 2011 and Fall 2013. Participants also had to be enrolled in at least one face-to-face class during the semester and have a developmental placement and test score. The sample included 6,183 students who enrolled in accelerated developmental math courses (treatment group) and 82,278 who enrolled in regular developmental math courses (comparison group). The authors received data from the THECB including demographic data, placement tests/scores, and longitudinal enrollment and course data. The authors examined differences between the groups using statistical models with controls for baseline characteristics, college, and cohort.
Findings
Education and skills gain
- The study found that enrollment in the accelerated developmental courses was significantly related to passing rates in the developmental math course after one semester. Students in the accelerated courses were 12% more likely to pass compared to students in the traditional courses.
- The study also found that enrollment in the accelerated developmental courses was significantly related to enrollment and passing rates in college-level math courses for all time periods. Students in the accelerated courses were 2% more likely to enroll and pass compared to students in the traditional courses both after one semester and one year. After two years, accelerated students were 2% more likely than their peers in the comparison group to enroll in college-level courses but only 1% more likely to pass.
- Compared to students in the traditional courses, students in the accelerated group were 1% more likely to graduate after two years. This was statistically significant.
- The study found no significant relationships between enrollment in the accelerated developmental courses and persistence rates or transfer rates to four-year schools.
Considerations for Interpreting the Findings
Although the authors used a well-implemented nonexperimental design, treatment group participants self-selected into the accelerated developmental courses. Students who self-selected into the courses could differ in observable and unobservable ways, affecting the outcomes of interest. Moreover, the study examined outcomes across the Texas community college system, with the authors noting that the implementation of the accelerated developmental courses varied across the community college systems. These differences in implementation also could have impacted the observed outcomes.
Causal Evidence Rating
The quality of causal evidence presented in this study is moderate because it was based on a well-implemented nonexperimental design. This means we are somewhat confident that the estimated effects are attributable to the accelerated developmental courses, but other factors might also have contributed.