Date of Award

Spring 2020

Degree Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

School

Education

Committee Chair

Dr. Kyna Shelley

Committee Chair School

Education

Committee Member 2

Dr. Lilian Hill

Committee Member 2 School

Education

Committee Member 3

Dr. Thomas Lipscomb

Committee Member 3 School

Education

Committee Member 4

Dr. Richard Mohn

Committee Member 4 School

Education

Abstract

Each year, after graduating from high school or after a number of years in the workforce, millions of students in America make the choice to further their education. Students who enter higher education are faced with the decision of choosing from a diverse pool of institutions that provide an array of services to meet the needs of a changing society. Many students entering institutions of higher learning are in need of some developmental instruction or course in order to complete their degree and/or training. Because of the integral part that developmental education plays in higher education, the cost versus effectiveness of offering developmental education has been a topic of discussion among constituents of higher education for many years. Consequently, developmental education has gained significant attention in higher education (Bailey, 2009; Bailey, Jeong & Cho, 2010; Bonham & Boylan, 2012; & Saxon & Boylan, 2001). Whereas developmental students’ persistence and success rates are consequential to constituents of higher education, other factors such as the financial resources tied to these services create a challenge. To address the challenges, many systems have implemented developmental education redesign on a national, state and local level. Nowhere is this challenge more evident than at the community college.

The purpose of this study was to examine administrators’ and faculty’s experiences in implementing developmental education redesign at Mississippi Community Colleges. This study was a basic qualitative study with 23 participants, 14 administrators and 9 faculty members, participating. The participants in the study represents 13 of the 15 community colleges in Mississippi. The participants ranged from upper-level administrators who had seven years of experience to faculty who had 30 years or more experience in teaching developmental education courses.

The findings of the study suggests that developmental education redesign in Mississippi community colleges have been intentional and meticulously planned with students in mind. Furthermore, developmental education effectiveness is being assessed at the community colleges in Mississippi and changes are made as needed. The findings also include a discussion of the strategies that the community colleges in Mississippi have used for redesign like Complete College America, the co-requisite model, the accelerated model and the over-placement model.

ORCID ID

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9070-2211

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