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This is the first study to provide experimental evidence of the impact of corequisite remediation for students underprepared in reading and writing. We examine the short-term impacts of three different approaches to corequisite remediation that were implemented at five large urban community colleges in Texas, and we explore whether corequisites have differential impacts on students with different characteristics. Results from three first-time-in-college cohorts indicate that corequisite remediation increased the probability of completing a first college-level English course within one year by 24 percentage points and within two years by 18 percentage points. The impacts were positive for all three of the corequisite models examined and for traditionally underrepresented groups, including Hispanic students, first-generation college students, and students whose first language is not English. We saw modest positive impacts on the accumulation of college credits but no effect on persistence in college. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Traditionally colleges have relied on standalone non-credit-bearing developmental education (DE) to support students academically and ensure readiness for college-level courses. As emerging evidence has raised concerns about the effectiveness of DE courses, colleges and states have been experimenting with approaches that place students into credit-bearing coursework more quickly. To better understand which types of students might be most likely to benefit from being placed into college-level math coursework, this study examines heterogeneity in the causal effects of placement into college-level courses using a regression discontinuity design and administrative data from the state of Texas. We focus on student characteristics that are related to academic preparation or might signal a student's likelihood of success or need for additional support and might therefore be factors considered for placement into college-level courses under "holistic advising" or "multiple measures" initiatives. We find heterogeneity in outcomes for many of the measures we examined. Students who declared an academic major designation, had bachelor's degree aspirations, tested below college readiness on multiple subjects, were designated as Limited English Proficiency (LEP), and/or were economically disadvantaged status were more likely to benefit from placement into college-level math. Part-time enrollment or being over the age of 21 were associated with reduced benefits from placement into college-level math. We do not find any heterogeneity in outcomes for our high school achievement measure, three or more years of math taken in high school. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper studies the effects of guaranteed college admission on student effort and achievement. In 1997, Texas enacted the 'Top Ten Percent' law, which guarantees admission to any public college for students in the top ten percent of their high school class. In practice, eligible students become aware of their admission status at the end of their junior year in high school-more than 1 year prior to attending college. We use data from a large, urban school district and regression discontinuity methods to test for effects on effort. Our preferred estimates show that students who barely qualify for the admissions guarantee earn marginally lower grades and take fewer advanced courses in their senior year compared to students who do not qualify for guaranteed admission and learn their status in the final senior year term. We find qualitatively similar results when limiting our sample to finer bandwidths, although the estimates are imprecise. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Studies on blended education pay little attention to implementation, thus limiting the understanding of how such programs contribute to student math learning. This article examines the implementation of a widely used blended algebra curriculum and the relationship between implementation and student outcomes. The study was conducted in 74 middle schools and 73 high schools in 51 school districts located in seven states. The study included both treatment and control schools. The blended-curriculum combines inquiry-based teaching and learning with technology (math software). The study found that teachers implemented the blended curriculum with low fidelity. Teachers had most difficulty allocating the recommended amount of time for the math lab and content. The study also found that the blended-curriculum teachers in the second year reverted to more traditional approach to instruction and spent less time on inquiry based instruction than in the first year, although they continued to use this approach at a higher level than teachers in the control schools. The study findings suggest that teacher adjustment of instruction in the second year, specifically balancing the amount of traditional instruction with inquiry instruction, in combination to the use of the math software contributed to the performance of the program. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on the impact of the Texas Ten Percent Plan (TTP), a policy created by the state of Texas in 1997 after a federal appellate court ruled that the state's previous affirmative-action system based on racial preferences was unconstitutional, on college enrollment. It discusses the eligibility for automatic admission under the TTP and the TTP Plan's requirement that students who belong to the top 10 percent of their class be admitted to the state's public college of their choice.