Abstract
Objective:
In recent years, many colleges have switched developmental education (DE) from prerequisite models to corequisite models. While extensive literature has demonstrated that corequisite DE is more effective at helping underprepared students achieve better college outcomes, less attention has been given to its costs and cost effectiveness. This study estimates the cost and cost effectiveness of the mathematics corequisite model under the Kentucky Community and Technical College System (KCTCS).
Methods:
Leveraging comprehensive administrative, human resources, and fiscal data across all 16 colleges, we estimated both direct and indirect instructional costs of corequisite DE and compared them with the costs of traditional prerequisite models. Using enrollment and passing rates of college mathematics courses, we evaluated how much it would cost to achieve the immediate goal of DE: supporting academically underprepared students to pass introductory college mathematics courses.
Results:
The total cost for an average student to reach college-level mathematics is about $1,529 under corequisite DE and $1,395 under prerequisite DE (in 2020 dollars). However, because students under corequisite DE were more likely to pass college-level math than students under prerequisite DE, corequisite DE is 54% less costly per student passing a college-level math course than prerequisite DE.
Contributions:
There is wide variation in corequisite DE implementation. Our results add to the only known cost study of corequisite DE, and they largely confirm the previous findings about a corequisite model implemented in a different context. Taken together, the results advocate for continued investment in corequisite DE as a scalable solution to improve mathematics outcomes while maintaining fiscal responsibility.
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