Developmental Course Taking and Academic Outcomes for Community College Students

Led by researchers from the National Disability Center for Student Success, the Meadows Center for Preventing Educational Risk, and CCCSE.

This New Directions for Community Colleges study examines how developmental and remedial education support college readiness and career preparation for students who use disability services.

Wiley New Directions for Community Colleges edition cover that says "Critical Race Theory and Community Colleges; Historical Foundations & Contemporary Relevance"

Students with disabilities enroll in community colleges at twice the rate of those at four-year institutions (NCES 2022). Yet, many begin their studies needing additional academic support. 

This national study—authored by Stephanie W. Cawthon, North Cooc, Anna-Mari Fall, Greg Roberts, Denisa Gándara, Pierce Capelli, and Mike Bohlig—examines how developmental education in reading, writing, and math affects college readiness, student engagement, and career preparation for students who use disability services. 

Using data from 19,548 students across 481 colleges in 44 states, the researchers applied structural equation modeling to measure relationships between coursework, engagement, and outcomes.

What’s Inside:

44%

Students who disclose disabilities at two-year colleges enroll in developmental courses

20%

All undergraduates now identify as disabled, a figure that has doubled since 2008

Community college students enroll in one or more developmental education courses

Sources: NCES (2022); National Center for Education Statistics (2017); NDCSS (2025); Ganga et al. (2018).

Key Findings

Introduction

The study investigated two primary questions:

  1. What is the relationship between student engagement, skill development, and career preparation and the number of developmental courses (reading, writing, or math) taken by students who use disability services?
  2. Do these relationships vary by demographic factors such as first-generation status, gender, race, or language background?

These guiding questions frame the analysis of how developmental education shapes college readiness and career preparation for disabled students enrolled in community colleges.

Methods

The study used multilevel structural equation modeling, a statistical approach that separates individual student experiences from institutional influences. This method reveals not only whether developmental courses are linked to stronger engagement, skill growth, and career preparation, but also how much of those effects stem from the college environment itself—such as through advising systems or faculty support

Discussion

Implications for Research

Up to 70% of disabled students do not disclose their disability status (NCES 2022; NDCSS 2025), limiting national data accuracy. The authors recommend future CCSSE data include self-reported disability measures and expanded institutional variables, not just students who use disability services, to examine college accessibility more directly.

Literature Review

Previous research on developmental course-taking for disabled students is mixed (Wells & Chen, 2024). While some studies highlight persistence benefits, others show limited academic progress without institutional coordination. This study builds on that literature by positioning developmental education as both an academic and engagement pathway—particularly when paired with disability services and structured support.

Results

Students enrolled in more developmental courses reported higher student-engagement benchmarks, greater confidence in academic skills, and improved preparation for career goals.
Patterns differed slightly across groups: English-language learners gained the most in skill development, and first-generation students showed early engagement advantages that evened out with additional courses.
Overall, the findings show that developmental education promotes college readiness and student engagement for disabled students when supported by coordinated campus practices.

Discussion

Implications for Practice

Another implication is this study’s contribution to the complex debates about developmental education’s impact on community college student success and the focus not just on the type of developmental coursework, but on its quality and alignment with allied programming. Although early 2000s studies highlighted serious concerns—with only 28% of developmental math students completing college-level courses within 3 years (Bailey et al. 2010)—recent reforms show more promise for positive impact on student achievement. Accelerated models, co-requisite remediation, and improved placement methods have boosted completion rates significantly (Logue et al. 2016; Ran & Lin 2022). 

Conclusion

Developmental education is a cornerstone of college readiness and career preparation for disabled students in community colleges. When institutions align developmental coursework with disability services and accessible instruction, students gain the engagement, skills, and confidence needed to succeed academically and professionally.

Top Recommendations for Instructors and Institutions

There is no one status of accessibility – instead, it is a process that focuses on continuous improvement, learning, and iteration and understanding of its impact across a diverse and dynamic community. This chapter raises foundational issues that are a part of any successful accessibility initiative in an institution of higher education: 

Coordinate Course Advising and Disability Services

Link academic and accessibility supports, including conversations about developmental courses, so students receive consistent resources throughout their college journey: as they enroll, during their programs, and as they transition to the workforce.

Use CCSSE and Institutional Data to Track Growth

Results show a 10-point engagement increase for students using disability services and taking three developmental courses. Use the CCSSE Student Engagement benchmarks to measure student progress and adjust programs to align with campus-wide supports.

Expand Faculty Professional Development

Faculty decisions influence student success. Training in disability awareness, Universal Design for Learning, accessible teaching strategies, and inclusive assessment strengthens student experiences (Carroll et al. 2020).

Strengthen High-School to College Transitions

Create transition partnerships that introduce developmental and disability supports before college enrollment, especially for students who have documented transition planning (Literature Review 2; Newman et al. 2016).

Analyze Institutional Contexts and Co-Requisite Models

Use multilevel evaluation or campus-level evaluations to identify campus practices that improve skill and career development for students with disabilities, especially those who do not officially disclose to the institution.

image of the National Disability Center for Student Success's website on various devices, phone, tablet and desktop computer

”We find that developmental course enrollment is associated with higher levels of engagement and perceived academic skills and career preparation. The results have implications for supporting students with disabilities in entering and completing college.

Stephanie W. Cawthon, PhD

Recommended Resources

References

  1. Bailey, T., Jeong, D. W., & Cho, S. W. (2010). Referral, enrollment, and completion in developmental education sequences in community colleges. Economics of Education Review, 29(2), 255–270.
  2. Carroll, A., Petrović, J., & Kirkpatrick, D. (2020). Professional development for inclusive teaching: Practical strategies for improving accessibility in higher education. Journal of Faculty Development, 34(3), 45–56.
  3. Cawthon, S. W., Cooc, N., Fall, A.-M., Roberts, G., Gándara, D., Capelli, P., & Bohlig, M. (2025). Developmental course taking and academic outcomes for community college students who use disability services. New Directions for Community Colleges. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1002/cc.70015
  4. Ganga, E., Mazzariello, A., & Edgecombe, N. (2018). Developmental education: An introduction for policymakers. Education Commission of the States. https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED593507
  5. Logue, A. W., Watanabe-Rose, M., & Douglas, D. (2016). Should students assessed as needing remedial math take college-level quantitative courses instead? A randomized controlled trial. Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis, 38(3), 578–598. https://doi.org/10.3102/0162373716649056
  6. National Center for Education Statistics. (2017). Characteristics and outcomes of undergraduates with disabilities. U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences. https://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch/pubsinfo.asp?pubid=2018432
  7. National Center for Education Statistics. (2022). Use of supports among students with disabilities and special needs in college (NCES 2022-071). U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences. https://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch/pubsinfo.asp?pubid=2022071
  8. National Disability Center for Student Success. (2025). Access leads to achievement: A national report on disabled college student experiences. Institute of Education Sciences, U.S. Department of Education. https://nationaldisabilitycenter.org/resources/national-report
  9. Newman, L., Madaus, J. W., & Javitz, H. S. (2016). Effect of transition planning on postsecondary support receipt by students with disabilities. Exceptional Children, 82(4), 497–514. https://doi.org/10.1177/0014402915598778
  10. Ran, F. X., & Lin, Y. (2022). The effects of corequisite remediation: Evidence from a statewide reform in Tennessee. Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis, 44(3), 458–484. https://doi.org/10.3102/01623737221078927
  11. Wells, R. S., & Chen, L. (2024). Developmental education for college students with learning and attention disabilities. Educational Policy, 39(4), 1–26. https://doi.org/10.1177/08959048241206580