Fifteen years ago, the Obama administration and philanthropic foundations encouraged more Americans to get a college degree. Remedial classes were a significant barrier. Two-thirds of community college students and 40 percent of four-year college students were unprepared for college-level work and had to take “developmental” courses that didn’t earn college credits. Many never progressed to college-level courses, accumulating student loan debts and dropping out.
One popular solution was to eliminate these prerequisite classes and let students proceed straight to college-level courses, known as “corequisite courses,” which include some remedial support. Recently, over 20 states, including California and Florida, have either replaced remedial classes with corequisites or given students a choice.
In 2015, Tennessee’s public colleges were among the first to eliminate stand-alone remedial courses. A 10-year analysis of nearly 100,000 students by University of Delaware researchers showed mixed results. The draft paper, not yet peer-reviewed, found that the new supports haven’t worked as well as hoped, especially for lower-achieving students.
The study of Tennessee’s community colleges showed that after eliminating remedial classes, students passed more college courses, including advanced ones in English and math. However, the extra credit accumulation effect quickly faded. By the end of three years, students had accumulated about the same number of total credits as those under the old remedial system. The proportion of students earning degrees did not increase after the corequisite reform. Lower achieving students were more likely to drop out and less likely to earn a certificate degree.
“The evidence is showing that these reforms are not increasing graduation rates,” said Alex Goudas, a higher education researcher. “Some students are benefiting temporarily, while others are harmed permanently.”
Data from other states shows similar patterns. In California, which largely eliminated remedial education in 2019, failure rates in introductory college-level math courses soared, as noted in a study of a Southern California college.
Ran’s analysis of Tennessee has two critical implications: corequisite courses aren’t working well for the lowest-achieving students, and even students earning more credits initially still struggle to graduate. Critics argue that remedial education needs to be reintroduced for students lacking basic skills. Meanwhile, supporters believe corequisite courses need improvement. Thomas Brock of the Community College Research Center described the higher dropout rates as “troubling,” but insists the old remedial system failed too many students.
“The answer is not to go back,” said Brock, “but to double down on corequisites and offer more support.” He believes skill-building can happen while students earn college credits. Corequisite classes vary widely in their approach, from double doses of classes to added support hours and tutoring centers. However, without additional support like academic advising and financial help, students struggle to juggle work, family, and classes, leading to dropout.
High school achievement levels have declined further since 2020. “It’s not their fault,” said Ran. “It’s the K-12 system that failed them.”
Contact staff writer Jill Barshay at (212) 678-3595 or barshay@hechingerreport.org.
This story about corequisite courses was written by Jill Barshay and produced by The Hechinger Report, a nonprofit, independent news organization focused on inequality and innovation in education. Sign up for Proof Points and other Hechinger newsletters.
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