ABSTRACT
One of the central debates in community college education has, for generations, been whether required developmental education created a point of access or a barrier to student success. The number of students who enroll in some form of traditional zero-credit developmental skills program drop out of college long before graduation. Many use critical financial aid dollars to support remedial education while never accruing credits toward a degree. Leading up to the Great Recession, the restructuring of remedial programs at community colleges across the country was certainly a focus of policy attention. Community college systems have recognized the economic and social value of increasing the number of college degree holders in the state. Both Tennessee and California adopted significant changes to community college policy geared toward admitting as many students as possible while increasing completion rates at the same time.
