Are Prerequisites Really the Problem of Developmental Education? Reviewing Corequisite and Prerequisite Models in the State of Texas

Authors

Stephen Oluwaseyi Maku

Department of Curriculum and Instruction/Texas State University (United States of America)

Article Information

DOI: 10.47772/IJRISS.2025.903SEDU0738

Subject Category: Education

Volume/Issue: 9/26 | Page No: 9711-9718

Publication Timeline

Submitted: 2025-11-16

Accepted: 2025-11-22

Published: 2025-12-13

Abstract

This paper intends to explore the evolving landscape of DE in Texas; it will examine the effectiveness of these models on student success. This will particularly synthesize previous works to provide an overview of critics and advocates of these DE models, with keen interest in recent shifts towards corequisite. Historically, DE has been criticized for delaying students’ academic progress and increasing their cost of completion. As a way of responding, Texas has been at the forefront of implementing approaches like corequisite. With the purpose of enhancing retention and completion rate, this seeks to integrate students more seamlessly into college-level coursework. This paper aims to offer grounded perspectives that can influence future policy decisions in the State of Texas and potentially beyond.

Keywords

Developmental Education (DE), Corequisite

Downloads

References

1. Adams, P. (2020). Giving Hope to the American Dream: Implementing a Corequisite Model of Developmental Writing. Composition Studies, 48(2), 19-34. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

2. Atkins, C., & McCoy, A. (2016). A Co-Requisite Model for Developmental Mathematics: Innovative Pathway Leads to Positive Outcomes for Education Majors. Educational Renaissance, 5(1), 13-25. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

3. Ari, O., Fisher-Ari, T. R., & Paul, T. (2016). A call to Research and Research-Based Action in Developmental Education. Community College Journal of Research and Practice, 41(9), 610–615. https://doi.org/10.1080/10668926.2016.1171812 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

4. Bailey, T., Jaggars, S. S., & Scott-Clayton, J. (2013). Characterizing the effectiveness of developmental education: a response to recent criticism. Community College Research Center, Columbia University. doi:10.7916/D857191J [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

5. Bailey, T. R., Jenkins, P. D., Fink, J., Cullinane, J., & Schudde, L. (2017). Policy levers to strengthen community college transfer student success in Texas. Columbia University Libraries. https://academiccommons.columbia.edu/doi/10.7916/D8JS9W20 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

6. Booth, E. A., Capraro, M. M., Capraro, R. M., Chaudhuri, N., Dyer, J., & Marchbanks III, M. P. (2014). Innovative developmental education programs: A Texas model. Journal of Developmental Education, 38(1), 2-18. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

7. Daugherty, L., Gomez, C. J., Gehlhaus, D., Mendoza-Graf, A., & Miller, T. (2018). Designing and Implementing Corequisite Models of Developmental Education: Findings from Texas Community Colleges. In RAND Corporation eBooks. https://doi.org/10.7249/rr2337 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

8. Daugherty, L., Miller, T., & Gehlhaus Carew, D. (2019). Supporting college enrollees who test at the lowest levels of readiness: Lessons from Texas community colleges (RR-2936-IHEP) [Research report]. RAND Corporation. ERIC. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED608248.pdf [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

9. Edgecombe, N. D., Cormier, M. S., Bickerstaff, S. E., & Barragan, M. (2013). Strengthening developmental education reforms: Evidence on implementation efforts from the scaling innovation project. Community College Research Center, Columbia University. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

10. Elert, N., & Henrekson, M. (2017). Status quo institutions and the benefits of institutional deviations. Social Science Research Network. https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3342579 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

11. Gehlhaus, D., Daugherty, L., Karam, R., Miller, T., & Mendoza-Graf, A. (2018). Practitioner Perspectives on implementing developmental education reforms: A convening of six community colleges in Texas. In RAND Corporation eBooks. https://doi.org/10.7249/wr1281 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

12. Giani, M. (2017). Does vocational still imply tracking? Examining the evolution of career and technical Education curricular Policy in Texas. Educational Policy, 33(7), 1002–1046. https://doi.org/10.1177/0895904817745375 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

13. Hernández, S. R., McKinney, L., Burridge, A., & O’Brien, C. A. (2023). Transforming developmental education at community colleges through equity‐minded leadership. New Directions for Community Colleges, 2023(202), 89–103. https://doi.org/10.1002/cc.20571 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

14. Hodges, R., Payne, E. M., Suh, E., Hernandez, P., Wu, N., Castillo, A., & Shetron, T. H. (2018). A review of demographic trends for Texas and the United States. Journal of College Academic Support Programs, 1(2), 25-34. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

15. Jaggars, S. S., & Bickerstaff, S. (2018). Developmental Education: the evolution of research and reform. In Higher education (pp.469–503). https://doi.org/10.1007/978 -3-319-72490-4_10 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

16. Martirosyan, N. M., Kennon, J. L., Saxon, D. P., Edmonson, S. L., & Skidmore, S. T. (2017). Instructional technology practices in developmental education in Texas. Journal of College Reading and Learning, 47(1), 3-25. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

17. Meiselman, A. Y., & Schudde, L. (2022). The impact of corequisite math on community college student outcomes: Evidence from Texas. Education Finance and Policy, 17(4), 719-744. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

18. Mitchell, T. D. (2013). Developmental education programs: Students' perceptions of the effectiveness at the community college level. [Doctoral dissertation, Louisiana State University]. LSU Digital Commons. https://repository.lsu.edu/gradschool_dissertations/1714 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

19. Miller, T., Daugherty, L., Martorell, P., & Gerber,R. (2022). Assessing the effect of corequisite English instruction using a randomized controlled trial. Journal of Research on Educational Effectiveness,15(1), 78-102. https://doi.org/10.1080/19345747.2021.1932000 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

20. Mokher, C. G., & Park-Gaghan, T. J. (2023). Taking Developmental Education Reform to Scale: How Texas Institutions Responded to Statewide Corequisite Implementation. Innovative Higher Education, 48(5), 861–878. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10755-023-09656-7. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

21. Orlando, M., & Hattaway, K. (2020). Recipe for Successful Collaborative Corequisites. Journal of College Academic Support Program, 2(2), 32-39. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

22. Park-Gaghan, T. J., & Mokher, C. G. (2025). The relationship between course structure and intensity, and student success in developmental education. Educational Policy, 39(5), 1075–1103. https://doi.org/10.1177/08959048241278930 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

23. Paulson, E. J., Sarker, A. L., Reynolds, J. S., & Cotman, A. M. (2021). Instructors’ Voices: Experiences with State-Mandated Accelerated Integrated Developmental Reading and Writing Coursework in Texas Community Colleges. Journal of College Reading and Learning, 51(2), 110–130. https://doi.org/10.1080/10790195.2020.1867668 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

24. Procknow, H., Deithoff, L., & Herd, V. (2018). Corequisite courses for developmental students at a large research university. Journal of College Academic Support Program, 1(2), 9-16. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

25. Reynolds, T. L. (2015). Faculty opinions about developmental education courses. CORE. https://core.ac.uk/display/345081329?utm_source=pdf&utm_medium=banner&utm_campaign=pdf-decoration-v1 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

26. Ryu, W., Schudde, L., & Pack-Cosme, K. (2022). Constructing corequisites: How community colleges structure corequisite math coursework and the implications for student success. AERA Open, 8, 233285842210866. https://doi.org/10.1177/23328584221086664 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

27. Saxon, D. P. (2017). Developmental Education: The Cost Literature and What We Can Learn from It. Community College Journal of Research and Practice, 41(8), 494–506. https://doi.org/10.1080/10668926.2016.1202875 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

28. Saxon, D. P., & Slate, J. R. (2013). Developmental education students in Texas community colleges: Changes over time. The Community College Enterprise, 19(1), 34-44. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

29. Shields, D. J. (2005). Developmental education: Criticisms, benefits, and survival strategies. Research and Teaching in Developmental Education, 43-51. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

30. Suh, E., Wu, N., Oelschegel, C., Garcia, A., & Armstrong, S. (2022). Unvoicing a field’s expertise: A two-pronged citation and language analysis. Journal of Praxis in Higher Education, 4(2), pp. 90–121. https://doi.org/10.47989/kpdc280 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

31. Vick, N., Saxon, D. P., & Martirosyan, N. (2018). Internal conflict: Community college presidents and developmental education. Journal of College Academic Support Programs, 1(1), 26-33. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

32. Weick, K. (1999). Sensemaking as an organizational dimension of global change. In D. L. Cooperrider, J. E. Dutton (Eds.) Organizational dimension of global change (pp. 39-56). SAGE Publications, Inc., https://doi.org/10.4135/9781452231419.n2 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

Metrics

Views & Downloads

Similar Articles