Does Developmental Coursework Impact Successful Outcomes at Community College?

The mission of Onward We Learn is to prepare and inspire young people in the state to become the first in their families to attend and complete college. As both a college access and college success program, it is imperative that Onward We Learn recognize what course-taking trends in high school and early college are aligned to a student’s success when it comes to college persistence and completion. We hypothesize that developmental coursework taken while attending community college is predictive of unsuccessful outcomes when it comes to college persistence and student's achieving satisfactory academic progress. Contingency table analysis was conducted using logistic regression. We observed that state community college students that needed to complete developmental coursework did not have a successful outcome, which is defined as overall persistence and/or two- or four-year degree completion. With 106 out of 315 (23%) Onward 2021 high school graduates immediately enrolled at the state community college, these results will provide useful information and interventions in ongoing efforts to increase the numbers of low-income and first-generation students who successfully enroll in and complete college.