Illuminating the Experiences of African-American Female Community College Students in Developmental Education

Abstract

At the beginning of each academic term, thousands of students respond to community colleges' open-door invitation with the expectation of fulfilling their dreams of a higher education. When students walk through those doors, they are routinely asked to take basic skills tests in math, reading, and writing (Bailey, Jeong, & Cho, 2008). These new community college students soon discover that the results of these assessment tests will direct their pathway into college-level courses or developmental or remedial courses. According to Bailey, Jeong, and Cho, about 60 percent of incoming students are referred to at least one developmental course, and many are referred to multiple levels of developmental education before they can be considered ready for college. McCabe (2000) reported that 20 percent of African-American students enrolled in community colleges have seriously deficient skills, that is, they are placed in developmental reading, writing, and math and assigned to a lower level remedial course in at least one area. Only 5 percent of Caucasian students, however, come to community colleges with seriously deficient skills.

Citation

Johnson McPhail, C. (2011), "Illuminating the Experiences of African-American Female Community College Students in Developmental Education", Renée Chambers, C. (Ed.) Support Systems and Services for Diverse Populations: Considering the Intersection of Race, Gender, and the Needs of Black Female Undergraduates (Diversity in Higher Education, Vol. 8), Emerald Group Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 185-213. https://doi.org/10.1108/S1479-3644(2011)0000008014