EFAC(LEGAL) - INSTRUCTIONAL PROGRAMS AND COURSES: DEVELOPMENTAL EDUCATION

"Developmental education" includes pre-college, non-degree credit courses, interventions, tutorials, laboratories, and other means of assistance that are included in a plan to ensure the success of a student in performing entry-level academic coursework. 19 TAC 4.53(10)

An institution of higher education, including a college district, may refer a student to developmental coursework, including basic academic skills education, as considered necessary by the institution to address a student's deficiencies in the student's readiness to perform freshman-level academic coursework, except that the institution may not require enrollment in developmental coursework with respect to a student previously determined under Education Code 51.338(d) or by any institution of higher education to have met college-readiness standards. An institution of higher education that requires a student to enroll in developmental coursework must offer a range of developmental coursework, including online coursework, or instructional support that includes the integration of technology to efficiently address the particular developmental needs of the student.

Education Code 51.336(a)–(b), 19 TAC 4.53(10) [See EI for information on the Texas Success Initiative]

Corequisite Model

Each institution of higher education shall develop and implement for developmental coursework, other than adult basic education or basic academic skills education, developmental education using a corequisite model under which a student concurrently enrolls in a developmental education course and a freshman-level course in the same subject area for each subject area for which the student is referred to developmental coursework. Each institution shall ensure that at least 75 percent of the institution's students enrolled in developmental coursework other than adult basic education or basic academic skills education are enrolled in developmental coursework.

If a student fails to satisfactorily complete a freshman-level course described above, the institution of higher education shall:

  1. Review the plan developed for the student under Education Code 51.335(a) and, if necessary, work with the student to revise the plan; and
  2. Offer to the student a range of competency-based education programs to assist the student in becoming ready to perform freshman-level academic coursework in the applicable subject area.

Each institution of higher education shall develop and implement corequisite model(s) for developmental mathematics and integrated reading/writing (IRW) courses and interventions, and each institution must ensure that a minimum percentage of its undergraduate students other than those exempt as outlined below must be enrolled in such corequisite model(s).

Each public institution of higher education must ensure that the institution's developmental courses and interventions comply with the requirements of this section according to the following schedule:

  1. For the 2018–19 academic year, at least 25 percent of the institution's non-exempt students enrolled by subject area in developmental education must be enrolled in corequisite model(s);
  2. For the 2019–20 academic year, at least 50 percent of the institution's non-exempt students enrolled by subject area in developmental education must be enrolled in corequisite model(s); and
  3. For the 2020–21 academic year, at least 75 percent of the institution's non-exempt students enrolled by subject area in developmental education must be enrolled in corequisite model(s).

The following students are exempt by subject area(s) from this requirement:

  1. Students assessed at ABE Diagnostic levels 1–4 on the TSI Assessment;
  2. Students who are college ready;
  3. Students enrolled in adult education;
  4. Students enrolled in degree plans not requiring a freshman-level academic mathematics course; and
  5. Students who meet one or more of the exemptions as outlined in 19 Administrative Code 4.54.

Education Code 51.336(c)–(d); 19 TAC 4.62(a)(8)

Research-Based Best Practices

An institution of higher education must base developmental coursework on research-based best practices that include all of the following components:

  1. Assessment;
  2. Differentiated placement and instruction;
  3. Faculty development;
  4. Support services;
  5. Program evaluation;
  6. Integration of technology with an emphasis on instructional support programs;
  7. Non-course-based developmental education interventions; and
  8. Subject to the requirements of Education Code 51.336(c), course pairing of developmental education courses/interventions with entry-level freshman courses, also known as mainstreaming or co-enrollment of developmental education and entry-level freshman courses as defined in 19 Administrative Code 4.53(12).

As part of item 2, above, an institution shall offer an Integrated Reading and Writing (IRW) course/intervention at the highest level (just below college-readiness as determined by the institution) by spring 2015.

As part of item 7, above, an institution shall offer at least one section of non-course competency-based intervention (NCBO) per developmental education subject area by spring 2015.

Education Code 51.336(e); 19 TAC 4.62

Funding

Public community colleges shall not submit for formula funding any hours for remedial and developmental courses and/or interventions for which a student has exceeded 18 semester credit hours, or 27 semester credit hours if the developmental coursework is English for speakers of other languages. Education Code 51.340(a); 19 TAC 4.62(a)(8), 13.107(b)

Western Texas College

EFAC(LEGAL)-LJC

UPDATE 34

DATE ISSUED: 4/18/2018