Although the amount of food consumed this past holiday season might prove otherwise, sometimes you can’t get too much of a good thing…like this new Developmental Education Initiative blog.
This blog is the right thing at the right time, and adds another welcome element to a sea change that is reshaping the entire landscape of career pathways and developmental education. One of the greatest challenges to our economy today is giving lower-wage/lower-skill/lower-educated workers the boost they need to attain the educational credentials to qualify for higher-skill/higherwage jobs. This is a role for developmental education and other bridge programs.
Too often, in the past, such educational programs have been criticized as ineffective and, at times, even worse. But as the national movement to improve college completion shows, many educators have gotten the message and are changing the face of bridge education.
And there is evidence that really good things are happening and making a difference. We at Workforce Strategy Center, with the generous support of The Joyce Foundation, this summer completed BridgeConnect, the first national survey of bridge programs. The full report is available on the Resources section of the DEI website under “Curricular and Instructional Revisions”. Among the survey findings based on reporting from 515 programs in 47 states and the District of Columbia:
This battle to educate our workforce is too important for anyone to fight alone. And thankfully, it turns out, there are a lot of innovators out there already eager to share their experiences. Change is not coming. It is here. And information-sharing blogs like this can only help us get where we need to go.
Julian L. Alssid is the Executive Director of the Workforce Strategy Center.
A DEI Bridge Program
One of the DEI institutions that is innovating on the bridge program front is North Central State College in Mansfield, Ohio. NC State’s Solutions adult transition program is a collaborative effort involving the college, Mansfield City Schools Adult Basic Literacy Education, and Richland County Job and Family Services. This unique program is integrated within the Tutoring Resource Center at North Central State College. The Solutions program provides self-paced, individualized instruction for students who have tested into developmental education at NC State College. Participation in Solutions is mandatory for students with COMPASS Reading scores of 59 or below, and is strongly recommended for those who place two levels down in writing or three levels down in mathematics.
89% of Solutions participants improve at least one developmental level in at least one subject before transitioning to college classes, and 92% subsequently pass the higher- level class they have tested into. Students who complete Solutions and then transition to college consistently outperform their non-Solutions counterparts on success metrics such as developmental course completion, gateway course completion, and persistence.
This blog is the right thing at the right time, and adds another welcome element to a sea change that is reshaping the entire landscape of career pathways and developmental education. One of the greatest challenges to our economy today is giving lower-wage/lower-skill/lower-educated workers the boost they need to attain the educational credentials to qualify for higher-skill/higherwage jobs. This is a role for developmental education and other bridge programs.
Too often, in the past, such educational programs have been criticized as ineffective and, at times, even worse. But as the national movement to improve college completion shows, many educators have gotten the message and are changing the face of bridge education.
And there is evidence that really good things are happening and making a difference. We at Workforce Strategy Center, with the generous support of The Joyce Foundation, this summer completed BridgeConnect, the first national survey of bridge programs. The full report is available on the Resources section of the DEI website under “Curricular and Instructional Revisions”. Among the survey findings based on reporting from 515 programs in 47 states and the District of Columbia:
- Over 67% of the students who enter the programs go on to higher training
- Over 50% are ready for college-level courses.
This battle to educate our workforce is too important for anyone to fight alone. And thankfully, it turns out, there are a lot of innovators out there already eager to share their experiences. Change is not coming. It is here. And information-sharing blogs like this can only help us get where we need to go.
Julian L. Alssid is the Executive Director of the Workforce Strategy Center.
A DEI Bridge Program
One of the DEI institutions that is innovating on the bridge program front is North Central State College in Mansfield, Ohio. NC State’s Solutions adult transition program is a collaborative effort involving the college, Mansfield City Schools Adult Basic Literacy Education, and Richland County Job and Family Services. This unique program is integrated within the Tutoring Resource Center at North Central State College. The Solutions program provides self-paced, individualized instruction for students who have tested into developmental education at NC State College. Participation in Solutions is mandatory for students with COMPASS Reading scores of 59 or below, and is strongly recommended for those who place two levels down in writing or three levels down in mathematics.
89% of Solutions participants improve at least one developmental level in at least one subject before transitioning to college classes, and 92% subsequently pass the higher- level class they have tested into. Students who complete Solutions and then transition to college consistently outperform their non-Solutions counterparts on success metrics such as developmental course completion, gateway course completion, and persistence.
Check out Appalachian State for resources and best methods in developmental education, www.ncde.appstate.edu. Also, check out the works of Hunter Boylan and Barbara Bonham.
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