Does Corequisite Remediation Work for Everyone? An Exploration of Heterogeneous Effects and Mechanisms
Year: 2025
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: The landscape of developmental education has experienced significant shifts over the last decade nationwide, as more than twenty states and higher education systems have transitioned from the traditional prerequisite model to corequisite remediation. Drawing on administrative data from Tennessee community colleges from 2010 to 2020, we examined the heterogeneous effects of corequisite reform for remediation-eligible students with varying levels of academic preparation. Using difference-in-differences and event study designs, we found that corequisite remediation significantly improved gateway and subsequent college-level course completion for students in all placement test score groups below the college-level threshold. For math, the positive effects on college-level course completion were stronger for higher-scoring remedial students than for those with lower placement test scores, whereas the pattern was reversed for English. However, since the corequisite reform, students requiring remediation were more likely to drop out of the public college system, and those with the lowest scores were less likely to earn short-term certificates.
Source: Education Finance and Policy
DOI: 10.1162/edfp_a_00451
Authors: Florence Xiaotao Ran, Hojung Lee
Institution: University of Delaware
Language: English
Subfield: Education
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: bronze
OpenAlex ID: W4407128808