Robin: Are you suggesting that developmental studies students are synonymous
with students with learning disabilities?  If so, I'll disagree.

I'm not sure what conclusion could be derived from these statistics other
than K-12 in northeast Texas inadequately prepares 70 percent of their
graduating students who enroll in CC to test high enough on the Texas Higher
Education Assessment (THEA) to go straight to credit courses.  I'm not
impressed with Houston's numbers either, but I don't think the problem is
undiagnosed learning disabilities.

Many non-Texans may be surprised to learn that the freshman class of 2004
was the first required to use the recommended high school program (which is
described as a college preparatory degree plan).  I tried to search for
statistics on the number of Texas HS graduates prior to 2004 graduating
under this degree plan, but I couldn't locate anything quickly (sigh).

Even if all students move towards a more rigorous degree plan, there will be
continue to be variation between school districts in achieving 'rigor' in a
college preparatory curriculum. Additionally, there is no coordination
between high school exit and college entrance requirements (nor do I believe
that many other states achieve a smooth transition so I'm not trying to
single out Texas). 

Tell me that 70 percent of the students in developmental studies courses
have diagnoses for learning disabilities, and I'm more likely to believe
that higher education needs to do more than put them into non-credit courses
that drain their ambitions.

Varshna Jackson
Austin, TX

on 2/18/06 5:52 PM, robinschwarz1 at aol.com at robinschwarz1 at aol.com wrote:


> The "developmental studies" population seems to be a monumental issue

> in community colleges.   In Texas, I was told last week that 70% of

> students coming to a community college in north east Texas had to go

> into developmental courses; in one Houston area  cc it was 60%-- and of

> at least that many in Albuquerque.   I think it is not hard to figure

> out why this is so--the problem is how to help these students get at

> regular college courses.......Robin

> 

> -----Original Message-----

> From: Susan Jones <sujones at parkland.edu>

> To: learningdisabilities at nifl.gov

> Sent: Sat, 18 Feb 2006 17:09:50 -0600

> Subject: [LearningDisabilities] accommodations, colleges, adult

> learning programs, etc...

> 

> This was originally a reply to a request for information about college

> programs

> to teach teachers in adult ed situations that Rochelle thought was

> mis-labeled

> on the topic line (re-reading it, I"m not sure it was - I was talking

> about

> degrees in 'developmental education').

> 

> It loosely ties with the ongoing discussion of how to marshall our

> efforts to

> change the infrastructures to improve opportunities for folks with

> learning

> disabilities.

> 

> The entire discipline of "developmental education" for learning at the

> college

> level is not "special ed" or psych, but  I've  seen (in developmental

> education

> journals) ads for college degree programs in adult ed. and

> developmental

> education.  The non-LD issues (educational, cultural, psychological)

> and some LD

> issues are addressed in journals and conferences; I don't know if it's

> trickled

> down to the education programs.  There are workshops and training and

> certifications (Kellogg INstitute for example) as well.  The

> professionals in

> the field seem very receptive to information about LD issues - I have

> been

> implored to bring back information from the TRLD conference

> specifically to

> better address students with LD in our developmental and higher level

> courses.

> There is generally a resistance to K-12 models.

> 

> Parkland College is currently doing a major re-vamping of its academic

> assistance to students at all levels in an effort to be less redundant

> and more

> thorough (spend less time duplicating services and more time making

> sure we

> reach more students). The recent efforts in my unit (Academic

> Development

> Center, working with students in pre-100 level courses) have been

> successful

> enough that the powers that be want to spread the success.  People

> working

> intensively and "intrusively" with students has been a crucial element

> of our

> success.

> 

> My job description is that I work with students with learning

> disabilities or a

> history of learning difficulties, or words to that effect.  This means

> they

> don't need documentation to get my tutoring & academic support

> services.  Many

> of the faculty working in develomental level courses know they're

> dealing with

> students with LDs; like any other group of faculty they have varying

> degrees of

> understanding of accommodations.  This college and others also struggle

> with

> defining their roles in serving the needs of the folks who have major

> literacy

> needs.   There's room for some of the efforts you're talking about in

> shifting

> infrastructures.  We struggle with where to direct students who score

> too poorly

> on our placement tests to qualify for classes; other schools have open

> enrolment

> and these students are in the classes until the system grinds them back

> out.

>    At this level, technology makes some major evolution possible in the

> accommodation realm.  Things like SpeechQ/WordQ and Draft: Builder have

> a lot of

> potential and I'm curious to see whether there isn't some odd backlash

> (will

> teachers forbid the use of certain kinds of technology?).

> 

> 

> Susan Jones

> Academic Development Specialist

> Academic Development Center

> Parkland College

> Champaign, IL  61821

> sujones at parkland.edu

> Webmastress,

> http://www.resourceroom.net

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