Developmental Reading Placement and Course Outcomes, 1990-91 through 1999-2000 / John W. Curtis.

During the 1997-98 academic year, members of the Germanna Community College (Virginia) English faculty observed that students were having difficulty with reading comprehension in the content areas. Faculty conducted an informal survey of Virginia Community College System colleagues, and learned that the placement test cutoff scores used at Germanna for placement into developmental reading were significantly lower than at other colleges. On the basis of this information, cutoff scores for placement into developmental ENG 04 "Reading Improvement I" were raised beginning 1998-99, and a new placement level for "co-curricular" enrollment in ENG 06 "Reading in the Content Areas" was instituted. As a result, cutoff scores for "unrestricted" course placement were raised substantially. As a result of these changes, the overall proportion of students recommended for developmental English increased during 1998-99 and 1999-2000 from 12-15% to 25-30%. Enrollment in developmental reading courses for the last two academic years increased correspondingly from only 37 students in 1997-98 to 158 students during 1999-2000. The report concludes that the changes in reading placement appear to correspond to different levels of performance in college-level courses. Enrollment in ENG 06 appears to raise the average grades earned by students recommended for that course, while enrollment in ENG 04 does not produce a corresponding increase. (VWC)

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