Rowan-Cabarrus Community College (RCCC), the 8th largest community college in North Carolina, is no stranger to redesigning developmental education. Over a four-year period, RCCC adapted a state-implemented redesign to better serve Rowan-Cabarrus students. In fall 2022, RCCC rolled out its own model, based on 7 premises, they’d like to share.
North Carolina, and Rowan-Cabarrus Community College, are no strangers to Developmental English and Math redesign. In fall 2018, Rowan-Cabarrus Community College, the 8th largest community college in the state, served as the beta pilot for the Reinforced Instruction for Student Excellence (or RISE) redesign. Over a four-year period, the College adapted the model to best serve Rowan-Cabarrus students. In fall 2022, Rowan-Cabarrus rolled out their personalized developmental model for English and Math. This model was formulated around the following premises: 1) Developmental education is not a one-size-fits-all model and should be catered to the individual institution, 2) Institutions should be allowed to choose their own technology and supporting resources, 3) Good professional development starts at home, 4) Developmental is a direct pathway to Curriculum, it is not a pool in which students continue to swirl, 5) Less is more (we must focus such courses on the foundational skills that are needed and can be built upon, but remove those that are covered in higher-sequenced courses), 6) Find the barriers to student success and eliminate them, and 7) Locate faculty leads that can produce and maintain faculty buy-in. In this session, join Dr. Jenny Billings, English Chair, and Melissa Reid, Mathematics Chair, to learn about their vision, model, and recent success.