Abstract
Within the SUNY system, community colleges were tasked with revising the placement of students into remedial courses to serve them better (Zimpher, 2014). Over seven years, three different studies have been conducted to determine whether the transitional (remedial) reading course at SUNY Jefferson enhances students’ critical reading skills and transfers those skills to college-level courses. Study one identified that students were not transferring skills to college-level courses (Deasy, 2016). Therefore, with a SUNY pathway initiative, two studies piloted a co-requisite model using the developmental reading course in conjunction with an introductory psychology course to determine if students would complete both courses at a higher rate than those in a stand-alone developmental reading course. The results (N = 28) for the piloted course (40%, N = 6) and the stand-alone course (30%, N = 4) showed similar pass rates for the developmental reading course. For the pilot, only four students passed the PSY 133 course (26%, N = 4). For Study Three, the decision was made to discontinue the transitional (developmental) reading course and have students enrolled in the college-level reading and thinking course. Although the participant size was small (N = 49), the overall pass rate (69%) and persistence rates (65%) were higher than those of participants who took the transitional (developmental) reading course. During the fall 2025 and spring 2026 terms, we will be conducting a fourth research study focused on the critical reading course. Generative AI is being utilized for teaching preparation, and students will also use AI.
Presenters
Leah DeasyDean, Social Science, Business, and Education, Roane State Community College, Tennessee, United States
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
KEYWORDS
TRANSITIONAL COURSES, LITERACY EDUCATION, PERSISTENCE, RETENTION, SOCIAL MOBILITY, LEARNER CENTERED
