Developmental Education

Developmental Education is a service provided by the Student Success Center (SSC). Its purpose is to provide support to students who are under-prepared for college-level academic work. In particular, it offers support in critical reading, writing, vocabulary development, pre-college mathematics, study strategies, and college survival skills.

The model of Developmental Education embraced by the College is called “Scaffolded Learning.” The term “scaffolding” refers to the practice of providing a rich, multi-layered system of support to students during the learning process. Our Scaffolded Learning program allows students with developmental needs in reading and/or writing skills to take a limited number of carefully selected general education courses, provided that they make a commitment to consistently participate in supportive services like tutoring and academic coaching. This is referred to as a My Academic Plan (MAP) and is referenced on page 26. Those with developmental needs in the area of mathematics are required to enroll in a developmental math course. Once they achieve success in scaffolded courses, students in Scaffolded Learning are allowed to continue their studies without restrictions.