Developmental Education Placement
Participation in Developmental Courses: Maryland
What Is Measured?
Percentage of Maryland Community College students enrolled in developmental English/reading and mathematics courses during their first year
Who Is Counted?
Students entering Maryland Community Colleges for the first time in fall 2006
What It Tells Us
Some 36 percent of first-time Pell grant students in Maryland Community Colleges enrolled in developmental English/reading and mathematics courses during their first academic year.
Why It's Important
For students in need of developmental education, enrolling in a specific course mandated by the placement test is the first step toward advancement to a college-level program. Many students never enroll in developmental courses at the level at which they are assessed, however. Because placements are not always binding, many students enroll in higher- or lower-level courses. Some may skip courses in the remedial sequence or skip developmental education altogether. As a result, the rates at which students enroll in developmental courses provide an incomplete picture of the need for remediation. Placement information, however, is rarely available, leaving enrollment rates as the only measure for gauging students' college readiness.
About the Data
First-time students: include students with no prior postsecondary experience except for college credits earned during high school or in the summer before enrolling in the fall.
Pell Grant recipient: a student who received a Pell Grant within the first year of entry at a given institution of higher education.
Race/ethnicity: Other includes Asian; American Indian or Alaska Native; and Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander. Racial categories exclude persons of Hispanic/Latino ethnicity, who are presented separately.