The redesign of developmental math courses grabbed national headlines this week as the Chronicle of Higher Education focused on the efforts of Virginia’s Community Colleges to better meet the needs of under-prepared students.

The article quotes Chancellor DuBois as warning of his “perfect storm” as he initiated the reengineering process to allow the system to “become smarter in how it invested in people, talent and technology, as well as do a better job of taking advantage of its size and resources.” 

With a national price tag of $2 billion, remedial education is a key area for reform. ”We’ve thrown out the assumption that all students need the same math curriculum,” the Chronicle quotes DuBois.

A new module approach is already being piloted at Northern Virginia Community College, with students and teachers discussing the benefits in the Chronicle story. The focus is on preparing students quickly for college level courses by concentrating on areas where they need the most help. The cycle of spending too long in preparatory courses before ever getting college credit is broken.

“While other community colleges have taken a similar approach to revamping developmental education, none have attempted to do it at the speed and scale of the Virginia system. The new curriculum will be adopted simultaneously at all of its 23 colleges,” the Chronicle article says.

As Michael Lawrence Collins, associate vice president of Jobs for the Future, says in the article:

There is a risk….But there is also power in being that bold.

Reengineering in developmental education was not the only topic to get some national press this week.

Workforce efforts were highlighted in CNN Money, with NVCC President Robert G. Templin talking about close collaboration between the college and the corporate world in health education.

That article also quotes Anthony Carnevale, an upcoming speaker at the Chancellor’s Annual Planning Retreat:

“Employers are turning to community colleges because those lining up at the door aren’t qualified,” said Anthony Carnevale, director of Georgetown’s Center on Education and the Workforce. “The skills requirement has gone up and employers don’t train entry-level workers anymore.”

Working more closely with community colleges benefits local industry, Templin said:

“They are helping to grow the future workforce they know they’ll need,” Templin said. “It’s a bottom-line business issue. They won’t be competitive if they don’t have the workers.”

posted by Susan Hayden