The Council on Postsecondary Education and the state’s public colleges and universities will get some help in redesigning developmental education for students, thanks to a $326,000 grant awarded to the Council by Louisville’s James Graham Brown Foundation.
Known as “corequisite” models of developmental education, the redesign will allow developmental education students to enroll directly into courses that count toward graduation requirements, provided they receive additional academic supports, such as tutoring, mentoring or supplemental instruction.
Traditionally, developmental education students could take up to two to three semesters of remedial work before they begin taking courses that count toward graduation. This significantly increases time-to-degree and places these students at greater risk of dropping out.
Several states, including West Virginia, Tennessee and Indiana, have successfully piloted corequisite models.
“Underprepared students are one of our most vulnerable populations since they are much less likely to persist and graduate,” said Council President Bob King. “Based on results from other states, the corequisite model is significantly increasing the number of these students who go on to graduate and earn associate and bachelor’s degrees.”
Activities that the grant will fund include curriculum design, training and professional development for associated faculty and staff, and the purchase or customization of early warning systems to track participants’ academic progress, among others.
The project will begin in summer 2016 and extend to summer 2019.
The James Graham Brown Foundation, Inc. was incorporated in 1954 by James Graham Brown, a successful lumberman, horseman and entrepreneur. He died in 1969 with no heirs leaving the bulk of his estate to the Foundation. Since incorporation, the James Graham Brown Foundation has awarded nearly 3,000 grants in Kentucky totaling more than $535 million in the areas of education, economic development and health.
For more information on the James Graham Brown Foundation, click here .
