Overhaul Developmental Education, Key Senators Say

There were no official votes taken, but several influential senators agree with Commissioner of Higher Education Raymund Paredes that developmental education needs fundamental change. Their comments were part of an important hearing on August 20 of the Senate Finance Subcommittee on Higher Education.

As noted here earlier, the commissioner and Coordinating Board have recommended a new approach to funding developmental education, which is presently funded like other academic courses under the formula. Dr. Paredes has proposed a new $30 million fund—to be trusteed to the board, and distributed to schools based on a comprehensive analysis of nationwide evidence and "best practices." Developmental courses would still be funded in the traditional manner during the next biennium. However, the commissioner anticipates, according to his testimony to the senators, that developmental education courses would be reduced significantly over four to six years.

Some lawmakers have stated openly that they want higher education to "get out of the developmental education business," as one put it, particularly for students who have just completed at least 12 years of public education. Professionals in the field are quick to point out that many two-year college students have not been in school for many years, however.

Most notable for community college educators is the apparent consensus among members of this important panel that fundamental change needs to take place. At this most recent hearing, Finance Committee Chair Steve Ogden (R-Bryan) was highly critical of the current system of funding developmental education, saying, "I agree we need a complete overhaul." Sen. Ogden asked also whether there might be a way for the Coordinating Board to approve all developmental education programs based on evidence of success. He also suggested that the "smartest people" need to be teaching these courses.

Sen. Royce West (D-Dallas) said, "We have thrown money at this issue for 15 years," expressing particular frustration that ethnic minorities still lag behind in all important measures. Developmental education is "basically broken," he said.

Deputy Commissioner of David Gardner noted that there has been improvement in the graduation rates of Hispanic and African-American students recently.

Commissioner Paredes cites a statistic that is often repeated among Texas policy makers. Only 11 percent of those students who enroll in an entry-level developmental mathematics class actually go on to pass a credit mathematics class. And this is still a far cry from graduation, of course. He does point out, however, that incremental improvement has occurred over the past few years, probably due to the advent of the "recommended" high school curriculum that has become the new default choice by law.

The commissioner says there have been "pockets" of success and promising developments in the field. These include the "Achieving the Dream" initiative at several Texas schools (supported by the Lumina Foundation), the award-winning practices of Richland College and Collin County College, and a notable venture at El Paso Community College, where the "AccuPlacer" diagnostic exam is given to 11th graders—allowing time for early intervention. Dr. Pardes also said that a number of programs nationwide that emphasize the "soft skills" of study habits, note taking, and punctuality have shown promise. "Most successful programs are highly integrated," he told the Senate panel. Currently developmental education coursework occurs in a trio of relatively discrete fields of reading, writing, and mathematics.

On the subject of the "success rate" of 11 percent, Millicent Valek, president of Brazosport College, testified that the rate improves significantly with students who are only marginally in need of remediation. This would seem to dovetail with an earlier comment by Dr. Paredes that severe cases might be better served by Adult Basic Education programs rather than college coursework.

One fundamental problem, as the Legislature considers these issues, is how to fund "non-course" developmental education, beyond the trusteed pilot programs the commissioner is recommending currently.

TCCTA Lobbyist Beaman Floyd, testifying before the committee, picked up on the discussion of "best practices," which has emerged as an extremely important component of any prospective policy in the field of developmental education.

Mr. Floyd encouraged the senators to take advantage of the local experimentation on community college campuses in Texas. He also recommended that the panel members visit the "big collaborative" Web site resource txpod.org, in which TCCTA is a partner. He said the site, which was only launched this spring, abounds with "best practices" in the field, with studies and data that have been "academically vetted" and ready for inspection.

(The first of its kind nationally, this Perkins-funded project was created with the help of the following partners, in addition to TCCTA: Austin Community College, Dallas County Community College District, Lone Star College System, Del Mar College, Midland Community College, the Foundation for Professional Excellence in the Community College, STAR LINK, Northeast Texas Network (NETnet), the Texas Leadership Alliance, and the Texas Collaborative for Teaching Excellence.)

Chair of the subcommittee, Sen. Judith Zaffirini (D-Laredo), thanked Mr. Floyd for the information.

TCCTA has assembled a number of "Talking Points" on several key issues, including developmental education. Members are urged to consult these points when communicating with lawmakers. Also available at the TCCTA Web site under Legislative Resources are a host of useful links to assist in this communication, including "Who Represents Me?" and the "Guide to Political Participation."