Success Initiative

Developmental Education Plan

Effective Spring 2006

The Del Mar College Developmental Education Plan supports the college mission, "To provide developmental, adult literacy, and basic skills instruction to help entering students to perform successfully in their chosen academic or occupational fields of study." It also describes how Del Mar College will meet the requirements of the Texas Success Initiative.

Copy in bold print is expressly included in the Texas Success Initiative, Chapter 4, Subchapter C, from the Texas Higher Education Board Rules and Regulations. The remaining copy describes additional Del Mar College policies, administrative in nature, that support developmental education at Del Mar College.

I. (a) "The following students shall be exempt . . .

(1)
For a period of five (5) years from the date of testing, a student who is tested and performs at or above the following standards:

(A) ACT: composite score of 23 with a minimum of 19 on both the English and the mathematics tests;

(B) Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT): a combined verbal and mathematics score of 1070 with a minimum of 500 on both the verbal and the mathematics tests; or


(2)
For a period of three (3) years from the date of testing, a student who is tested and performs on the Texas Assessment of Academic Skills (TAAS) with a minimum scale score of 1770 on the writing test, a Texas Learning Index (TLI) of 86 on the mathematics test and 89 on the reading test.

(3)
A student who has graduated with an associate or baccalaureate degree from an institution of higher education.

(4)
A student who transfers to an institution from a private or independent institution of higher education or an accredited out-of-state institution of higher education and who has satisfactorily completed college-level coursework as determined by the receiving institution." If these students do not have previous course work in English and mathematics that can determine assessment levels, they should take either the COMPASS or THEA to determine their placement levels. Students without a reading course who have college course work credit in any course equivalent to a course identified by Del Mar College as assessment level 3 in reading will be considered college-ready in reading.

(5)
"A student who has previously attended any institution and has been determined to have met readiness standards by that institution.

(6)
A student who is enrolled in a certificate program of one year or less (Level-One certificates, 42 or fewer semester credit hours or the equivalent) at a public junior college . . ."

Students who are in a Level-One certificate program may complete their certificate without additional assessment.

(7)
"A student who is serving on active duty as a member of the armed forces of the United States, the Texas National Guard, or as a member of a reserve component of the armed forces of the United States and has been serving for at least three years preceding enrollment.

(8)
A student who on or after August 1, 1990, was honorably discharged, retired, or released from active duty as a member of the armed forces of the United States or the Texas National Guard or service as a member of a reserve component of the armed forces of the United States.

(b) 		An institution may exempt a non-degree-seeking or non-certificate-seeking student." Del Mar College only exempts non-degree-seeking students if they register for ESOL classes only.

All students will be assessed in Reading, Writing and Mathematics, except students described above in (3), (4) or (b). Students who have previously taken the TASP Test (or TASP alternative test) will not need to be reassessed.

II. "Assessment.

(a)
An institution shall assess . . . the academic skills of each entering undergraduate student prior to enrollment of the student. Under exceptional circumstances, an institution may permit a student to enroll in freshman-level academic coursework without assessment but shall require the student to be assessed not later than the end of the first semester of enrollment in freshman-level academic coursework.

(b)
An institution offering collegiate-level credit to . . . in-state students by distance learning delivery systems shall ensure that students are assessed as required by this section.

(c )
An institution may not use the assessment or the results of the assessment as a condition of admission to the institution.
Assessment Instruments.

The following assessment instruments are approved by the (Coordinating) Board:

(1) ASSET and COMPASS offered by ACT;

(2) ACCUPLACER offered by The College Board

(3) Texas Higher Education Assessment (THEA) (formerly TASP Test) offered by National Evaluation Systems, Inc.

Minimum Passing Standards.
(a) The following minimum passing standards shall be used by an institution to determine a student's readiness to enroll in freshman-level academic coursework:" These scores meet the Texas Success Initiative Standards only. See section (c ) below.

"(1) ASSET: Reading Skills - 41; Elementary Algebra - 38; Writing Skills (objective) - 40; and Written Essay - 6.

(2) COMPASS: Reading Skills - 81; Algebra - 39; Writing Skills (objective) - 59; and Written Essay - 6.

(3) ACCUPLACER: Reading Comprehension - 78; Elementary Algebra - 63; Sentence Skills - 80; and Written Essay - 6.

(4) THEA: Reading - 230; Mathematics - 230; Writing - 220.


(b)
The minimum passing standard for the written essay portion of all tests is a score of 6. However, an essay with a score of 5 will meet this standard if the student meets the objective writing test standard.

(c )
An institution may require higher passing standards."

Del Mar College uses the THEA and COMPASS tests for assessment. The minimum passing standards used by the College to determine readiness for academic course work are shown on a placement chart, published in the Catalog and Class Schedule.

III.

Advisement:

(a)
" For each student who fails to meet the minimum passing standards . . . an institution shall:


(1) Establish a program to advise the student regarding developmental education necessary to ensure the readiness of that student in performing freshman-level academic coursework.

(2) Determine a plan, working with the student, for academic success, which shall include developmental education and may include provisions for enrollment in appropriate non-developmental coursework."


Appropriate developmental course work will be determined by a student=s test scores and the placement chart developed by Del Mar College shown in the Catalog and Class Schedule.


"(3) Provide to the student an appropriate measure for determining readiness to perform freshman-level academic coursework . . . "


Each student who has earned 24 credits or fewer will be required to meet with an advisor prior to registration. The appropriate developmental education for that individual student is available to the advisor through the College Student Information System. Undeclared and liberal arts majors will meet with faculty from the Department of Counseling, Advising and Special Services. All other students will meet with faculty from their major. Students may request a copy of their education plan from their advisor.


"(c) Institutions shall consider all federal laws pertaining to individuals with disabilities when assessing and advising such students."


Students with documented learning disabilities may not be able to complete the developmental education prescribed for other students. The specific developmental education plans for these students will be determined by a committee composed of a professional staff person from the Office of Special Services, the Chair(s) of the Reading, English, or Mathematics Departments (or their designee) for each section of the assessment test not meeting the college-readiness standard and the Chair (or designee) of the student's major.

IV.

Determination of College Readiness:

(a)
"An institution shall determine when a student is ready to perform freshman-level academic coursework on an individual basis according to the needs of the student.

(b)
As indicators of readiness, institutions shall consider, as appropriate:


(1) Performance in developmental education.

(2) Performance in appropriate non-developmental coursework.

(3) Performance on an assessment instrument" (see section II) "or performance on an institutionally selected assessment.

(4) Other indicators of readiness, as determined by the institution."


All courses offered by Del Mar College have been assigned assessment levels for Reading, English and Mathematics. Students may concurrently enroll in developmental classes and college-credit classes as long as they meet all three-assessment levels by assessment test scores or by passing the previous level of developmental class, unless they are given special approval by the Department Chair to enroll in a course in the department.

Students who do not initially score at college-level according to the Del Mar College Assessment Chart shown in the College Catalog and Class Schedule must either retest and score at college level or complete the developmental education required to be eligible to enroll in courses in their degree plan.

Students who initially score below the deviation standard must retest in every area where the deviation standard was not met and complete the developmental education required by the assessment levels of the courses in their degree plan.


V.
Retesting:

". . . a student shall retake an assessment instrument . . . if the student did not initially perform at or above the following scores:


(1) ASSET: Reading Skills - 35; Elementary Algebra - 30; and
Writing Skills (objective) - 35.

(2) COMPASS: Reading Skills - 64; Algebra - 23;
Writing Skills (objective) - 44.

(3) ACCUPLACER: Reading Comprehension - 61; Elementary Algebra - 42;
Sentence Skills - 62.

(4) THEA: Reading - 201; Mathematics - 206; Writing - 205.

(5) An essay with a score of 5 will meet these criteria if the student meets the objective writing test standard.


(d)
A student may retake an assessment instrument at any time, subject to availability, to determine the student's readiness to perform freshman-level academic coursework."

If students take the THEA or the COMPASS after September 1, 2003, and do not initially meet the deviation standard, they must retest on each section for which they do not meet the deviation standard. They may retest with either the THEA or the COMPASS. Students must wait 30 days after taking the THEA QT before they may retake the THEA QT. Students who wish to take the COMPASS more than twice must have written permission from an advisor.

Students with TASP (or TASP alternative) Test scores who have enrolled in a Texas public college prior to Fall 2003 are not required to retest but must complete the developmental education required by the assessment levels of the courses in their degree plan.


VI.
Evaluation:

"At the end of each semester, institutions shall report to the Board the following information for undergraduate students: Social Security Number (SSN), semester credit hours (SCH), grade points earned, ethnicity, gender, date of birth, Texas Success Initiative status, initial assessment instrument, score on initial assessment, type of developmental education received for each area (reading, mathematics, writing), grade in first related non-developmental course, and the results of any subsequent assessment."

Overview of the College's developmental education program is provided by the Department of Communications, Languages and Reading, the Department of English and Philosophy, and the Department of Mathematics and Physics. All developmental education and the student services that support it are coordinated by the College-wide IMPACT(Improvement Activities) Committee.

Developmental Education Plan - Rev 12/15/2005 - (PDF)
Devplan rev 01/04 - (PDF)
Devplan rev 08/03 - (PDF)
Devplan rev 03/03 - (PDF)
Devplan orig 05/00 - (PDF)

©2007 Del Mar College