Revealing Readiness: How Corequisite Placement Designs Shape Student Outcomes
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| Title: | Revealing Readiness: How Corequisite Placement Designs Shape Student Outcomes |
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| Language: | English |
| Authors: | Dan Cullinan, Lena Novak, Liam Tsao, Gilda Azurdia, Byeong Hyeon So, MDRC |
| Source: | MDRC. 2026. |
| Availability: | MDRC. 16 East 34th Street 19th Floor, New York, NY 10016-4326. Tel: 212-532-3200; Fax: 212-684-0832; e-mail: publications@mdrc.org; Web site: http://www.mdrc.org |
| Peer Reviewed: | N |
| Page Count: | 80 |
| Publication Date: | 2026 |
| Sponsoring Agency: | Ascendium Education Group, Inc. |
| Document Type: | Reports - Research |
| Education Level: | Higher Education Postsecondary Education Two Year Colleges |
| Descriptors: | Required Courses, College Readiness, Student Placement, Remedial Instruction, Community Colleges, Grade Point Average, College Curriculum, Program Effectiveness, Program Implementation, Outcomes of Education, Program Costs, Educational Practices, Enrollment Influences |
| Geographic Terms: | Colorado, Texas, Arkansas, Virginia, New York, New Jersey |
| Abstract: | The postsecondary developmental (remedial) education landscape is changing. In recent years, corequisite models have emerged as a promising alternative to the traditional prerequisite model. In a prerequisite model, college students with developmental education needs are typically required to take a non-credit-bearing course before progressing to college-level courses. Under a corequisite model, students enroll in a college-level course and concurrently receive related academic support, often in the form of a separate course section. Studies have shown that corequisite models can help students stay in and graduate from college. Many states and institutions are also reexamining how students are placed in courses, moving from standardized test-based placement policies to placement policies that incorporate multiple measures of academic preparedness. To learn more about how community colleges are modifying their placement policies and to understand the effects of these changes, MDRC researchers collaborated with eight community colleges across the country to learn about their current placement policies and to develop a new placement system. The research team then worked with the colleges to implement this new system in the fall semester of 2024. |
| Abstractor: | ERIC |
| Entry Date: | 2026 |
| Accession Number: | ED681673 |
| Database: | ERIC |
| Abstract: | The postsecondary developmental (remedial) education landscape is changing. In recent years, corequisite models have emerged as a promising alternative to the traditional prerequisite model. In a prerequisite model, college students with developmental education needs are typically required to take a non-credit-bearing course before progressing to college-level courses. Under a corequisite model, students enroll in a college-level course and concurrently receive related academic support, often in the form of a separate course section. Studies have shown that corequisite models can help students stay in and graduate from college. Many states and institutions are also reexamining how students are placed in courses, moving from standardized test-based placement policies to placement policies that incorporate multiple measures of academic preparedness. To learn more about how community colleges are modifying their placement policies and to understand the effects of these changes, MDRC researchers collaborated with eight community colleges across the country to learn about their current placement policies and to develop a new placement system. The research team then worked with the colleges to implement this new system in the fall semester of 2024. |
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