This brief describes lessons learned from emerging research examining the effects of corequisite remediation to help students progress to college-level courses. The brief shares implications for policy and practice and draws on findings from a recent College Completion Network multisite randomized controlled trial examining the use of corequisite education at five open and broad-access institutions in Texas.

From the brief: "A significant proportion of community college students are assigned to developmental education—courses intended to prepare students for college-level classes. Typically, colleges use standardized placement tests to determine whether to enroll students in prerequisite developmental courses or course sequences before allowing them access to college-level mathematics or English. However, many students assigned to developmental education never complete college, which some see as evidence that developmental education is itself a significant barrier to college completion for students who would otherwise be successful. Given these concerns, policymakers have sought out alternative developmental education policies. For example, states such as Florida and California have passed laws that drastically reduce participation in developmental education by changing policies related to placement and placing most students into college-level courses by default, with support as needed.

One common approach to helping students who have been assessed as needing developmental education is corequisite remediation, where students enroll directly in college-level courses while receiving concurrent and aligned developmental educational support. There are numerous corequisite education models (for example, paired courses or tutoring), each designed to support students in passing college-level courses while avoiding the delays associated with prerequisite developmental courses. Corequisite remediation has two main features: immediate placement into a college-level course and aligned, concurrent support. When this brief discusses the effect of corequisite remediation, it is referring to the combined effect of these two features. The brief describes lessons from the emerging research examining the effects of corequisite education."