Illinois Developmental Education Equity in Action

Summary and Goals

This OCCRL project collaboration with the Partnership for College Completion (PCC) will inform the state of Illinois, community colleges in Illinois, and other education stakeholders about the influence and status of measures associated with the Developmental Education Reform Act (DERA) regarding student access and success at community colleges. The project will address the following questions:

1. How have placement, pathways, curriculum, and teaching changed, or how are they currently changing, for students who require developmental education courses since the passage of DERA?
2. What organizational changes and challenges have occurred due to DERA being implemented at higher education institutions?
3. How have student outcomes been impacted by DERA programs, particularly with respect to equity?

OCCRL and PCC will work closely with local faculty and staff to identify meaningful measures and benchmarks of student achievement, ensuring these critical data are collected at the classroom, department, and institutional levels. A quantitative analysis will take place later in the project, using input to inform the evaluation design and data-collection tools, should the recommended idea be implemented.