College of the Redwoods Implements Changes to Increase Student Success in Math and English

Recognizing that too many students were leaving college before successfully finishing their degrees, College of the Redwoods has radically transformed both the placement process and curriculum in math and English to dramatically reduce the time required to complete math and English degree requirements while increasing the likelihood that students will complete their courses successfully.

Beginning fall 2018, all current and new CR students can enroll in college-level English and math without having to take any placement tests and without having to complete any remedial courses first.  

“It may seem counterintuitive in this age of standardized tests and focus on ‘basic skills’ remediation, but the research is clear: students have a significantly higher chance of successfully completing college-level math and English if they are put directly in those courses and provided learning support than if they are required to complete semester after semester of remedial courses,” said Dr. Angelina Hill, Vice President of Instruction at CR.

For the past few decades, CR, like all other California community colleges, required students to complete an assessment of their math and English skills prior to enrolling in any math or English courses. The assessment results were then used to determine which courses a student would be permitted to enroll in. That often meant that students would have to complete a series of courses covering material they already learned in high school before taking any college-level courses. Not surprisingly, many of those students became frustrated and left college before earning their degrees.

“While multiple-choice placement tests may be able to reveal some aspects of a student’s knowledge, they do not reliably predict a student’s ability to successfully complete college-level work,” Hill said. “So we’ve eliminated that barrier and have shifted our focus to where it needs to be: getting students into college courses and providing them with the support they need to pass their classes and earn a degree.”

Students new to CR aren’t likely to notice the impact of this change since they won’t know any different, so Hill’s immediate focus is on previous CR students who left before earning their degrees. It’s these students Hill wants to bring back to CR. “Did you or someone you know start classes at CR but left before getting your degree because you were forced to repeat English or math courses you already took in high school?” Hill asks. “Come back! No more remedial courses. You can take the college courses you need to get your degree, get the support you need to complete them successfully, and improve your life.”

The move away from placement testing and remediation comes after an intensive three-year examination by the college’s math and English faculty of student success data and best practices research. CR President Dr. Keith Flamer says he’s proud of the work the faculty have done. “There’s never been any doubt that CR’s faculty are among the best college faculty in the state, but that they were able to get so far ahead of most other California community colleges with this initiative is remarkable. CR is at the leading edge.”  

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