Attrition in Developmental English and Math

Attrition in Developmental English and Math:
An intractable reality of multi-semester sequences
Developed by Katie Hern
Coordinator of 3CSN Acceleration Initiative
English Instructor, Chabot College
Co-Director, Faculty Inquiry Network
khern@chabotcollege.edu
  The
more levels of developmental
courses a student must go through,
the less likely that student is to ever
complete college English or Math.
Bailey, Thomas. (February 2009). Rethinking
Developmental Education. CCRC Brief.
Community College Research Center. Teachers
College, Columbia University.
Students’ initial placement in
developmental sequence
% of students who
successfully
complete collegelevel gatekeeper
course in subject
Reading
1 Level Below College
42%
2 Levels Below College
29%
3 Levels or More Below College
24%
Referral, Enrollment, and Completion in Developmental Education Sequences in Community
Colleges (CCRC Working Paper No. 15). By: Thomas Bailey, Dong Wook Jeong & Sung-Woo Cho.
December 2008. New York: Community College Research Center, Teachers College, Columbia
University. (Revised November 2009).
Students’ initial placement in
developmental sequence
% of students who
successfully
complete collegelevel gatekeeper
course in subject
Math
1 Level Below College
27%
2 Levels Below College
20%
3 Levels or More Below College
10%
Referral, Enrollment, and Completion in Developmental Education Sequences in Community
Colleges (CCRC Working Paper No. 15). By: Thomas Bailey, Dong Wook Jeong & Sung-Woo Cho.
December 2008. New York: Community College Research Center, Teachers College, Columbia
University. (Revised November 2009).
For students placing two levels below a college course in
English/Math, there are 5 “exit points” where they fall away:
 
 
 
 
 
Do they pass the first course?
If they pass, do they enroll in the next course?
If they enroll, do they pass the second course?
If they pass, do they enroll in the college-level course?
If they enroll, do they pass the college-level course?
Students placing three levels down face 7 exit points.
Chabot students have two options for developmental English.
 
English 101A/B (8 units): A two-semester sequence leading to college
English
 
English 102 (4 units): A one-semester, accelerated course leading to
college English
Both options are open-access with no minimum placement score.
Students self-place.
Reading and writing are integrated in both options.
Chabot College pipeline data for first-time takers beginning
two levels down from college composition, in English 101A:
 
 
 
 
 
Do they pass the first course?
If they pass, do they enroll in the next course?
If they enroll, do they pass the second course?
55%
76%
79%
If they pass, do they enroll in the college-level course?
If they enroll, do they pass the college-level course?
86%
82%
Five exit points:
(0.55)(0.76)(0.79)(0.86)(0.82)= 23% complete Eng 1A
Chabot College pipeline data for students beginning one level
down from college composition, in accelerated English 102:
 
 
 
Do they pass the first course?
If they pass, do they enroll in the college-level course?
If they enroll, do they pass the college-level course?
Three exit points:
(0.62)(0.88)(0.82)= 45% complete Eng 1A
62%
88%
82%
Students starting two levels below college English:
(0.55)(0.76)(0.79)(0.86)(0.83)= 23% complete 1A
The biggest hemorrhage point is the first course in the
pipeline. How would the 1A completion rate change if the
first course pass rate increased to…
65%?
75%?
85%?
Try it out…
(Keep the other numbers in the sequence the same)
 
Chabot has increased the number of accelerated courses over the last
several years. Some faculty have expressed concern about putting
more students into that path, arguing that pass rates may decline if
under-prepared students can’t handle the course.
Students starting in accelerated course:
(0.62)(0.88)(0.82)= 45% completion of 1A
What would happen to the 1A completion rate if the pass rate in the
first course dropped to…
55%?
50%?
45%?
Try it out, keeping the other numbers the same.