Summer and Fall 2012 Remedial & Developmental Report Prepared by the Office of Academic & Student Affairs NSHE Leadership Board of Regents Dr. Jason Geddes, Chairman Mr. Kevin J. Page, Vice Chairman Dr. Andrea Anderson Mr. James Dean Leavitt Mr. Robert J. Blakely Mr. Kevin C. Melcher Mr. Cedric Crear Dr. Jack Lund Schofield Dr. Mark Doubrava Ms. Allison Stephens Mr. Ron Knecht Mr. Rick Trachok Mr. Michael B. Wixom Mr. Scott Wasserman, Chief Executive Officer and Special Counsel to the Board of Regents Officers of the Nevada System of Higher Education Mr. Daniel J. Klaich, Chancellor Dr. Neal Smatresk, President Dr. Marc Johnson, President University of Nevada, Las Vegas University of Nevada, Reno Mr. Bart Patterson, President Dr. Michael Richards, President Nevada State College College of Southern Nevada Dr. Mark Curtis, President Dr. Maria Sheehan, President Great Basin College Truckee Meadows Community College Dr. Carol Lucey, President Dr. Stephen Wells, President Western Nevada College Desert Research Institute Table of Contents Executive Summary ................................................................................................................................................. 1 Changing the Way Students are Remediated at NSHE Institutions .................................................... 3 Policy Changes ........................................................................................................................................................... 5 Remediation Rates by Ethnicity ......................................................................................................................... 7 Remediation Rates by Millennium Status ...................................................................................................... 7 Course Persistence Rates ‐ English and Math .............................................................................................. 8 Graduation Rates ...................................................................................................................................................... 9 A Look Back at the 2010‐11 High School Graduates .............................................................................. 10 Summary Tables .................................................................................................................................................... 11 Remediation Trends ............................................................................................................................................. 12 NSHE Capture Rate of Recent Nevada High School Graduates .......................................................... 13 Remedial Enrollment in NSHE Institutions Immediately Following Graduation and Cost of Remedial Course Delivery by School District and High School ......................................................... 14 Executive Summary This report includes information on students who graduated from a Nevada high school between September 2011 and August 2012 (“recent high school graduates”) and enrolled in at least one remedial math or English course at an NSHE institution in Summer or Fall 2012. The report excludes any data for which a positive match to a Nevada high school could not be made. Statistics on remediation rates are provided by institution, ethnicity, high school, and district. Recent Nevada High School Graduates System‐wide, 31.6 percent of all recent Enrolled in Remediation Immediately Nevada high school graduates who attended an NSHE institution were enrolled in at least Following Graduation (2008‐12) one remedial course in Summer or Fall 2012. Of the 2,904 recent Nevada high 2008 33.5% school graduates enrolled in remedial courses, 21.3 percent took remedial English only, 56.3 took remedial math only, and 22.3 2009 32.6% percent took both remedial mathematics and remedial English. 2010 34.1% In addition to recent Nevada high school graduates, there are other students who require remediation in order to participate 2011 33.9% successfully in college‐level courses. NSHE institutions enroll a significant number of older, returning students who require 2012 31.6% remediation. The majority, 79.3 percent of students enrolled in remediation, particularly those at the community colleges, are not recent high school students. In placing students in remedial courses, each institution is subject to Board policy as well as institution‐specific procedures on remediation. The following table includes the percent of recent high school graduates enrolled in a remedial math or English course at each NSHE institution over the last five reporting years. Percent of Recent Graduates Enrolled in Remedial Courses (Summer & Fall Only) NSHE UNLV UNR NSC CSN GBC TMCC WNC Total 2008 7.2% 33.9% 52.6% 35.3% 63.5% 66.6% 57.4% 33.5% 2009 16.5% 31.7% 72.8% 24.7% 64.9% 68.8% 54.2% 32.6% 2010 25.7% 32.0% 61.2% 20.2% 61.8% 65.7% 56.2% 34.1% 2011 30.0% 32.4% 55.6% 18.8% 62.8% 62.4% 57.8% 33.9% 2012 30.1% 26.7% 51.5% 19.9% 53.1% 58.2% 62.2% 31.6% 1 The overall rate of remediation at NSHE institutions exceeds the 2007‐08 national rate for students who took remedial courses in the first year as reported by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES). However, the NSHE policy that mandates students take their remedial coursework within the first 30 credits of enrollment may result in a higher first‐ year remediation rate than the national data as a similar policy may not have been in place at most institutions nationwide. Percent of first Recent NV High School Percent of first year students Graduates Enrolled in year students who took Remediation who ever took a remedial courses Immediately Following remedial course – in the first year – Graduation – Summer National National or Fall 2012 Public 2‐year 23.9% 41.9% 33. % Public 4‐yr nondoctorate 25.3% 38.6% 51.5% Public 4‐yr doctorate 17.2% 24.2% 28.6% 2 Total – All Institutions 20.2% 36.2% 31.6% Source: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) Remediation rates vary by the race/ethnicity of the student. The rate of remediation is highest for American Indian/Alaska Native students at 56.1 percent, which is an increase from 52.8 percent in 2011. Asian students represent the lowest rate at 22.9 percent. The remediation rate of white students (30.1 percent), Hispanic students (37.4 percent) and within Black/African American students (34.8 percent) decreased slightly from 2011. The rate of remediation for students receiving the Millennium Scholarship is lower than that of students who did not receive the Scholarship, 27.3 percent and 36.5 percent respectively. This is to be expected given that the academic requirements for the Millennium Scholarship results in students who are better prepared for postsecondary education. Students first enrolling in remedial English or math courses are less likely to complete a college‐level English or math course (53.7% versus 87.9% in English and 37.3% versus 83.4% in math). Alternative methods of delivering remedial instruction such as bridge courses that combine remedial instruction with college‐level instruction improve the rate of college‐level course completion (73.4% in English). Adequate preparation prior to entering postsecondary education allows a student to enter college‐level courses immediately following high school graduation improving the chance of success at completing a college‐level course. Of the 2005 high school graduates who enrolled at NSHE institutions immediately following graduation, those who enrolled in remedial courses graduated within six years at a much lower rate (25.6%) than those students who did not enroll in remedial courses (35.8%). This is to be expected given the students who did not enroll in remediation were likely better prepared and did not have to dedicate time and resources to completing remedial courses. 2 Changing the Way Students are Remediated at NSHE Institutions New courses, instructional methodologies, and placement strategies are being developed to transform and improve remedial education across the System, increase student learning outcomes and improve student success. Regular updates to the Board of Regents have been provided over the past two years describing this process and faculty decisions for change in delivery of remedial instruction. This effort to improve student learning based on national and local research and data is still a work in progress, demonstrating excellence and commitment on the part of NSHE faculty. Mathematics and English faculty from all seven NSHE teaching institutions worked together to share ideas, study data, and select institutional strategies to improve remedial education for NSHE students. Few topics have drawn as much attention across the United States as remedial education. The idea that so many high school graduates enter college unprepared in mathematics, English, and reading has captured the attention of state legislators, governors, school board members, and the general public. But higher education faculty have struggled for years to meet the learning needs of these students who enter postsecondary education unprepared. In Nevada, the primary burden for remedial instruction falls on the NSHE four community colleges. Students who meet the admission requirements of the two universities are less likely to need remedial coursework. Since Fall 2006, state funding is not provided for remedial instruction at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) and the University of Nevada, Reno (UNR). However, despite that students may be admitted to