An intensive skills program is trying to boost success rates at Jones County Junior College in Mississippi, reports the Hattiesburg American.
Incoming students who score a 15 or below on the ACT must take remedial English and math plus an orientation class and a class in college skills, such as studying. The goal is to prepare them to move quickly to college-level classes.
Mississippi now funds community colleges based on enrollment, but is studying a shift to “productivity” funding that will reward colleges for higher graduation rates. While JCJC lost enrollment when it started the new program, the college expects graduation rates will rise.
Instructor Rochelle Dahmer focuses on writing in her class on basic English language skills. Students spend an extra hour in class.
“We can’t cover everything, but we focus on certain things that will help them in their writing,” explained Dahmer, who said she concentrates on basic writing problems such as run-on sentences, comma splices and subject-verb agreement.
Intensive remediation is being tried across the country. Few students complete a multi-year remedial track.
