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REMEDIAL ENGLISH 1
Remedial English: Does it Work?
Deborah Davis
Liberty University
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Running Head: REMEDIAL ENGLISH 2
Abstract
This research seeks to determine if enrollment in remedial English courses impacts graduation
completion rates students at a four-year University in rural Appalachia. The challenge begins
with determining who the students are that are required to take remedial courses. While students
are generally assigned to remedial English as a consequence of test scores, a few students will
self-identify a need for this form of instruction. Transitions to college programs can aid students
in identifying their needs, as can a variety of tools available. Seeking assistance and making
assistance available is the next step. Then, students must identify their own learning strategies
and take ownership of their own issues. Programs, such as remedial English courses, can aid
with learning strategies. This research explores these needs and tools and programs and their
impact on graduation rates at a University in rural southern Ohio.
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Running Head: REMEDIAL ENGLISH 3
Remedial English: Does it Work?
The Problem
Students with Learning Disabilities (LD) are typically even more unprepared for college
level work upon graduating high school than those without learning disabilities. Consequently,
LD students are more likely to be enrolled in remedial English classes. Students without LDs are
frequently assigned to remedial coursework upon discovery that despite successful completion of
high school, their English writing skills are insufficient for college coursework.. These classes
are frequently taken for no course credit, yet are the same cost as a three unit course. This can be
discouraging to a new college student. The student who takes the course may have to take it
multiple times to prove readiness for freshman writing coursework. Consequently, students who
take remedial English courses frequently struggle throughout their college careers. These
students continue to struggle to graduation if they make it that far.
The Research
Bahr (2012) purports that “the majority of students do not attain college-level
competency in the subjects in which they require remedial assistance” (p. 661). This unfortunate
truth is applicable throughout the college population. Studies vary widely in the percentage of
incoming students requiring remediation, but place it between 20 and 60 percent. Regardless, the
problem is rooted below the college level. “Far too many secondary students struggle with
literacy” (Ruggieri , 2012, p. 9). The current remediation plan sets up students with literacy
issues for at least one extra year of college (Shaw, 2014). While the hope of common core
curricula was as increase in academic rigor in preparation for life or college the majority of states
have instead revamped their remedial programs to a more developmental approach (Shaw, 2014).
This Study’s Contribution
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Running Head: REMEDIAL ENGLISH 4
There is a culture gap between urban teachers and rural students (Hendrickson, 2012).
Students who make it through their rural high schools frequently fail at the college level when
faced with the need for remedial education. There is a dearth of literature on the subject as
pertains directly to Appalachia and the determination of learning disabilities, remediation, and
graduation rates. As Hendrickson (2012) points out, “The success of students in rural areas is
vital to the success of the region, as these students will make up the community of the future” (p.
48).
Objective
This project endeavors to determine a relationship between the remedial English courses
at a rural Appalachia four-year University and the graduation rates of those who take those
courses. While students are generally assigned to the course initially by test scores, the students
must pass the course and pass an achievement test to be allowed to register for the freshman
level course. It would seem likely students who take and pass the remedial English course on the
first effort are more likely to succeed in their college program. However, the students who
repeat the course until they pass demonstrate a determination that may be critical in their success.
This study will aim to determine the consequences of assignment and repeated assignment to
remedial English courses on graduation rates.
Research Question
What is the effect of assignment to and participation in remedial English courses as
measured by graduation completion rates for students at a rural Appalachian four-year-
university?
A Review of the Literature
Background
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Running Head: REMEDIAL ENGLISH 5
Some students enter college without the necessary skills to succeed. For many, the
enrollment in a remedial education program is intended to bring their skill sets to university
level. One problem is that secondary schools and colleges do not always agree on what these
skill sets and standards should be (Nasser & Goff-Kfouri, 2008). Another problem is the
difficulty in evaluating “the causal influence of participation in developmental coursework
compared with enrolling in college-level courses” (Bailey, 2009, p. 24). The consequence of
being underprepared is a likelihood of failure in degree completion or certification (Collins,
2013, p. 84). Having some students admitted to college with insufficient skills (Koch, Slate, &
Moore, 2012) is not only a source of controversy, but a financial burden (Nasser & Goff-Kfouri,
2008).
Assignment – Prepared for College
Testing is the bane of student existence. However, it is the tool used to measure
competency in a given subject. For students entering college, by and large it will be a test score
determining placement into a university level course or some form of remedial/developmental
course (Collins, 2008). While the tests determine placement, “about 30% of students who were
[sic] referred to remediation do not enroll in any courses” (Crisp & Delgado, 2014, p. 100).
There is likelihood that “negative feelings related to learning that they would be required to take
developmental coursework” (Koch, Slate, & Moore, 2012, p. 72) is one reason for those
choosing not to enroll. Bachman (2013) points out the need for relating a remedial requirement
with lack of preparation to aid in a shift to a more positive outlook. Credential status,
experience, and educational attainment among secondary teachers affect the remediation rates of
college-bound students (Howell, 2011). Howell (2011) also points out that “For those who find
themselves in remedial courses, the average high school GPA is an astonishingly high 3.1, better
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Running Head: REMEDIAL ENGLISH 6
than a B” (p. 315). This degree of academic skill is not translating into academic readiness at the
college level. Koch, Slate, and Moore (2012) found “Increased rigor due to better alignment of
standards or more challenging coursework would better prepare students for postsecondary
education” (p. 77). Better preparation would lead to less remediation and a better outcome for
these otherwise at-risk students.
Participation – Continued Effort
The skills of a student placed into remedial courses need work and work takes time. It
would seem a given that students with lower skills, placed into remedial coursework, would need
more time to complete their degree (Bahr, 2012). Bahr (2012) also notes that many of these
students will eke through, but never truly attain competency in the areas of remediation. Further,
students who succeed in each remedial course on the first try are logically more likely to
continue in the remedial progression without delay (Bahr, 2012). Loch, Slate, and Moore (2012)
noted that students successfully completing remediation felt good about their abilities having
increased self-confidence. A study by Nasser and Goff-Kfouri (2008) sought to determine the
impact of remedial on enrollment and whether or not the positive impact on future coursework
anticipated was a reality. However, Bachman (2013) found that students were highly frustrated
if they felt the work was too easy – not challenging them to enhance their skills. On concern,
expressed by Collins (2013) is a “mismatch between developmental education requirements and
those associated with students’ academic pathways” (p. 87).
Graduation – Making it All the Way
An instructor with a Master’s Degree and who applies harder tasks seems to result in
greater success within English remediation (Howell, 2011). That being said, “degree completion
for remedial students is also rare” (Bailey, 2009, p. 14). Bahr (2012) posits that to complete the
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Running Head: REMEDIAL ENGLISH 7
college level writing course within the first semester is the ideal. Passing the first level courses,
Collins (2013) found, was an elemental asset towards degree completion. Another asset to
remedial course was when “several students became increasingly aware of their individual
learning styles and were able to articulate preferences for particular instructional activities that
aligned to their learning styles” ((Koch, Slate, & Moore, 2012, p. 75).
Conclusion
The purpose of this study is to follow up and review the efforts made in recent years for
the progress to graduation/certification of students assigned to remedial/developmental courses at
a rural Appalachian four-year University. Prior studies have shown that better and more rigorous
work at the secondary level leads to higher success at the post-secondary level. Still, many
students enter college thinking of themselves as good students, only to find they are not ready to
perform college-level work. The consequence can be a challenge to their confidence and their
finances. Beyond that, these students will take much longer to graduate and many, if not most
will never reach certification or degree completion.
Hypotheses
Null Hypotheses
H01 – There is no statistically significant relationship between the assignment to remedial
English education and graduation rates for students at a rural Appalachian four-year
University when compared to students not assigned to remedial English education.
H02 – There is no statistically significant relationship between the failure to complete
remedial English education on the first try and graduation rates for students at a rural
Appalachian four-year University when compared to students not assigned to remedial
English education.
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Running Head: REMEDIAL ENGLISH 8
H03 – There is no statistically significant relationship between the successful completion
of remedial English education on the first try, and graduation rates for students at a rural
Appalachian four-year University when compared to students not assigned to remedial
English education.
Alternative Hypotheses
H1 – There is a statistically significant negative relationship between the assignment to
remedial English education and graduation rates for students at a rural Appalachian four-
year University when compared to students not assigned to remedial English education.
H2 – There is a statistically significant negative relationship between the failure to
complete remedial English education on the first try and graduation rates for students at a
rural Appalachian four-year University when compared to students not assigned to
remedial English education.
H3 – There is a statistically significant positive relationship between the successful
completion of remedial English education on the first try and graduation rates for
students at a rural Appalachian four-year University when compared to students not
assigned to remedial English education.
Participants
In the five year period 2007 through 2012, 1000 students were enrolled in remedial
English courses at a rural Appalachian university. Of those, 350 were female (35%) and 650
(65%) males. The sample size was determined by all enrollments in remedial English over the
fifteen semesters with five courses each during that period. The target population would be all
students in rural Appalachian universities who are advised to enroll in remedial English
coursework. Of these 1000 students, 875 (87.5%) were Caucasian, 50 (5%) were African-
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Running Head: REMEDIAL ENGLISH 9
American, 50 (5%) were Native American, and the remaining 25 (2.5%) identified as blended or
other.
Setting
The University pseudonymously named Alexandria University is located in rural
Appalachia in a town of less than 20,000 people. The university traditionally enrolls between
four and five thousand students per semester and has a 1:8 teacher-student ratio. In 2007, the
school transitioned from quarter-enrollment to a semester program. In concert with this
transition was a required change in curriculum to meet the new course length. Remedial English
courses had been in a three-part series for reading, basic writing-mechanics, and basic writing-
paragraphs. Since the transition, the reading course has been eradicated and the basic writing
courses have been expanded to ensure students with reading issues are incorporated. These
courses are limited to twenty students, but only require an enrollment of eight students to start
the course. Typically, there are ten to fifteen students enrolled, but only as many as half
maintain enrollment throughout the term.
Instrumentation
Alexandria University (AU) uses the ACT test for placement in the English composition
program. Students receiving a score of 18 or higher are authorized to enroll in the college-level
composition program while students receiving a 17 or lower are to enroll in a remedial English
course officer through the School of University Studies. For those students to whom the ACT
test was not an option, the school offers the ACT-Compass exam for placement purposes.
Additionally, the Reading, Writing Skills, and Writing Essay portions of the ACT-Compass
exam are used at the end of the remedial program to inventory the skills of the student and
determine readiness for college-level work. The test scores are recorded by the Office of
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Running Head: REMEDIAL ENGLISH 10
Institutional Efficiency under student identification numbers along with grades received. The
ACT is internationally recognized as a validated instrument for placement purposes. Founded in
1959 as the American College Testing program, ACT has been placing students in colleges
worldwide for the last fifty-five years. The Testing Center at Alexandria has been administering
the ACT-Compass program since the establishment of the university in the mid-1980s.
Research Design
This research will be conducted using an ex post facto causal-comparative design. The
independent variable would be the registration and participation in the remedial English course
program. The dependent variable would be the placement test scores, grades following
completion of a remedial course program, and graduation rates of participants in the remedial
program.
This is the appropriate design because the intent of the study is to determine if the
remedial program has resulted in student success as measured by completion of the remedial
English program, follow-on college-level English coursework, and graduation rates. It is ex post
facto in that it is measuring student success on a program that took place during the semesters
Fall-2007 through Spring 2014. Schenker and Rumrill (2004) state, “Causal-comparative
designs generally involve the use of pre-existing or derived groups to explore differences
between or among those groups on outcome or dependent variables” (p. 117). In this study, the
groups were pre-existing. Through the spring and summer of 2007, students were selected or
directed to enroll in remedial English courses. These assignments were made as a consequence
of test scores which were equated to the scores on the ACT-Compass testing program in use at
the University. Upon successful completion of the remedial program (as measured by a passing
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Running Head: REMEDIAL ENGLISH 11
grade), students took the ACT-Compass testing placement program again and, if successful,
were then authorized to enroll in college-level English coursework.
“The defining characteristic of causal-comparative research is that the independent
variables are (a) categorical and (b) not experimentally manipulated” (Schenker & Rumrill,
2004, p. 118). The independent variable in this study is the assignment to the remedial English
course program. This is a categorical variable that is not experimentally manipulated. Student
assignments are based on a cut-off score – a pass or fail mechanism – once assigned, the score
itself is insignificant. The same is true of the test when taken at the end of the coursework.
Procedures
Research at the pseudonymously named Alexandra University has a stated policy for the
use of its materials. The Institutional Review Board (IRB) will first determine if the research
conducted involved staff or students at the university – this research uses university student
records for data. The research is designed for dissemination beyond the classroom – this
research is intended for use in coursework at a different university. The university uses the
Belmont Report as guidance for all determinations. The below listed flowchart is used as a
guide.
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Running Head: REMEDIAL ENGLISH 12
Following the flowchart, this study requires an exempt review as it does not involve a
vulnerable population, but there is a minimal risk of a breach of confidentiality. While the
student identification numbers that identify them will be part of the study, the research will not
have access to the database that identified the students by name with their identification
numbers. The IRB application form for Alexandria University is submitted electronically and
must include not only the form itself with the usual research procedure and study questions, but
also a copy of the certificate from a recently (within 3 years) completed course of the NIH
Human Research Participants Training for all Principal Investigators. The IRB at Alexandria
University is an electronic review of the application on a rolling schedule to provide expeditious
response to researchers. The board will convene in person if needed to review and discuss any
issues of concern.
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Running Head: REMEDIAL ENGLISH 13
In that the data is already in existence, and no further testing or participants are required,
it is not necessary to elicit participants for the study. A pilot study will prepare a variety of
reports to determine the most efficacious method of retrieving and analyzing the data. There is
no treatment; ergo there is no need to train individuals to administer treatment. The data is to be
excised from existing databases and school records. Then, is will be compiled, examined, and
analyzed to determine the answers to the research questions. This information will then be
documented, recorded, and accordingly published.
Analysis
Independent Variable – Remedial English Coursework
Assigned (nominal)
Not-Assigned (nominal)
Dependent Variables
ACT-Compass scores (interval/ratio)
Non-remedial English course grades (interval/ratio)
Graduation (nominal)
Variables of Interest
Student Identification (ID) id numbers (nominal)
Test to be Used
In that there is one nominal independent variable with two levels and two or more
interval/ratio dependent variables, the appropriate statistical analysis would be a two-way
Multivariate Analysis of Variables (MANOVA) (Warner, 2008, p. 702).
Assumptions
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The dependent variables (ACT-Compass Scores and Non-remedial English course
grades) are measured at the interval or ratio level. The dependent variable graduation is
measured as a nominal rating of “yes” or “no.” The independent variable (Remedial English
coursework) consists of two groups (assigned and not-assigned). There is independence of
observation as each student is either assigned or not-assigned to remedial English coursework.
There should be no significant outliers, which the two-way MANOVA will detect. The
dependent variable should be approximately normally distributed for each combination of the
groups of the independent variables which will be tested using Shapiro-Wilkes. There needs to
be homogeneity of variances for each combination of the groups of the two independent
variables which will be tested using Levene’s test. Preliminary analysis using a scatter plot will
be performed to ensure no violations of the assumptions of linearity, bivariate normality, and
homoscedasticity.
Effect Size
Effect size will be determined using the formula for Wilks’ Lambda for partial Eta
Squared though Pillai’s Trace would be a reasonable alternative. The alpha is p < .05.
References
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References
Bachman, R. M. (2013). Shifts in attitudes: A qualitative exploration of student attitudes towards
efforts of remediation. Research & Teaching In Developmental Education, 29(2), 14-29.
Bahr, P. R. (2012). Deconstructing remediation in community colleges: Exploring associations
between course-taking patterns, course outcomes, and attrition from the remedial math
and remedial writing sequences. Research In Higher Education, 53(6), 661-693.
Bailey, T. (2009). Challenge and opportunity: Rethinking the role and function of developmental
education in community college. New Directions for Community Colleges, 145, 11-30
Collins, M. L. (2013). Discussion of the joint statement of core principles for transforming
remedial education. Journal Of College Reading & Learning, 44(1), 84-94.
Crisp, G., & Delgado, C. (2014). The impact of developmental education on community college
persistence and vertical transfer. Community College Review, 42(2), 99-117.
Hendrickson, K. A. (2012). Student resistance to schooling: Disconnections with education in
rural Appalachia. High School Journal, 95(4), 37-49.
Howell, J. S. (2011). What influences students' need for remediation in college? Evidence from
California. Journal Of Higher Education, 82(3), 292-318.
Koch, B., Slate, J. R., & Moore, G. (2012). Perceptions of Students in Developmental Classes.
Community College Enterprise, 18(2), 62-82.
Nasser, R. N., & Goff-Kfouri, C. A. (2008). Assessment of the English remedial programme at a
private university in Lebanon. Mediterranean Journal Of Educational Studies, 13(1), 85-
100.
Ruggieri, C. (2012). Benjamin Franklin meets preservice methods students: Foundations for
teaching high school English. Ohio Journal Of English Language Arts, 52(1), 7-12.
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Running Head: REMEDIAL ENGLISH 16
Schenker, J. D., & Rumrill, J. D. (2004). Causal-comparative research designs. Journal Of
Vocational Rehabilitation, 21(3), 117-121.
Shaw, D. (2014). Rethinking remediation for college students: Using preservice education
students in connection with high school AP classes. New England Reading Association
Journal, 50(1), 38-43.
Warner, R. (2008). Applied statistics: From bivariate through multivariate techniques. Thousand
Oaks, Calif.: SAGE Publications.