ABSTRACT
Remedial/developmental education is one of the most controversial aspects of higher education.1 Virtually all two-and four-year colleges provide some form of remedial education, though the amount is especially high in community colleges. Estimates of the proportion of coursework devoted to remedial education have ranged from 25 percent to nearly 80 percent.2 Many observers blame the deteriorating conditions of urban schools, exacerbated by increases in the number of children born into poverty. Large numbers of immigrants also contribute to expanding enrollments, even though many of these students would be served better in programs aimed at second-language learners.3 No one thinks that the need for remedial education will wither away soon.
