摘要：The recent focus on improving college completion rates has resulted in the paring down—or complete removal—of semester-long developmental education courses. Considering the magnitude these policies have on placement, teaching, and learning outcomes, this study examined faculty observations (N = 420) about students’ current and longitudinal college readiness at three diverse, urban community colleges. Data showed an observed drop in students’ college readiness over the last five years, as well as the faculty’s perception that changes to developmental education policy (including new placement protocols) are not serving community college students well. In all, 68% of faculty perceived their students’ reading and writing skills as weak or deficient, and only 8% as strong or excellent—with junior and part-time faculty viewing students’ levels of college readiness favorably. Results also showed faculty’s desire for higher academic standards, including more stringent college placement thresholds; the maintenance and expansion of semester-long developmental education sequences; and the need for more reading and writing instruction in all credited content areas.
