Developmental Education-Paula White
Paula White
Building on the Strengths of Our Developmental Education Program
Recently, Community College of Philadelphia hosted the Developmental Educators’ Summit, which featured Hunter Boylan, Director of the National Center for Developmental Education, as the keynote speaker. In his address, Boylan noted that “components of an excellent Developmental Program include excellent climate, excellent support services, and excellent instruction.” I have only been in my position as Director of Developmental Education since July 1, but I have learned enough thus far to know that we are well on our way to achieving such a program.
One of the strengths of our Developmental Education program at the college is the cadre of excellent developmental educators we have in our classrooms. As I think about what qualities make these faculty stellar teachers, a few characteristics they share come to mind. They’re collaborative both in the department and out, understanding that the support these students need is found not just in our classrooms but throughout the institution – in the learning lab and counseling, for example. These faculty are also interested in professional development – but I don’t mean only in the form of structured professional development activities: faculty who are conversant with the literature of the discipline and who share their craft with colleagues in casual conversation or in teaching circles are involved in professional development. They exhibit interest in the discipline in which they teach. Additionally, these faculty are flexible and cooperative with new program goals and initiatives – assessment is part of their practice and they’re willing to adapt their teaching when necessary.
There are key areas I would like to focus on, though, that will keep us moving towards that excellent ideal Boylan described to us. One such area is alternative methods of remediation. Last summer, students whose English placement fell below English 098/099 were invited to participate in a five-week writing intensive workshop. If students successfully completed the workshop, they could retake the placement test. The nineteen workshops we have run since summer have been successful in helping students raise their writing placement score sufficiently to enter English 098/099. This is work to feel good about; students are on a faster track to college, while at the same time receiving an appropriate level of remediation. Because some students may need more than five weeks of instruction, though, we have developed a three-week workshop as a follow-up to the five-week workshop. We anticipate a high rate of success with these workshops. My concern is to continue to offer an effective remediation package that serves the needs of each student. The increasing number of developmental students we see and the myriad needs we must address make clear that a “one-size fits all” approach will not work.
Another key area of focus for me is in developing a year-long comprehensive learning community experience for CAP B and CAP C students. The Research and Development committee for Developmental Education is building a plan that includes a freshman orientation experience and immediate college-level coursework in designated programs. The learning communities will be formed based on student interest, such as an Allied Health Learning Community, an Early Childhood Education Learning Community, and a Business Learning Community. We hope to have a series of learning communities in place by fall 2009.
Finally, what’s vitally important to me is collaborating with faculty and staff who are developing and implementing various initiatives that will serve the needs of developmental students. There are several refreshing initiatives taking place around the College right now that are designed to provide various forms of intervention in the form of instruction or support services to all students, but I am especially intrigued by the support and learning possibilities for developmental students. The Reading Across the Curriculum initiative and the Early Alert initiative, among others, are clear examples of what Boylan called “student-learning centered.” Students will become increasingly more self-reliant as they are exposed to instruction and intervention that encourage them to take an active role in their college experience and to integrate into the college at large.
The College already has had for many years a solid program under Tom Ott’s thoughtful leadership; my plan is to keep the program moving forward by ensuring that developmental students’ needs are met in our classrooms and throughout the college.
