Developmental Education at Eastern Kentucky University

The Developmental Education Program seeks to preserve and make possible educational opportunities for each postsecondary learner. The developmental education program at Eastern Kentucky University was designed to help students achieve academic success by developing or enhancing skills in three essential skill areas: reading, writing and mathematics. The development of these skills is needed for success in college-level coursework.  At EKU and other colleges and universities nationwide, students must demonstrate college-level readiness skills in the three essential skill areas.  Courses in the Developmental Program include ENG 090 (Basic Writing), ENG 095 (Developmental Composition), ENR 090 (Developmental Reading I), ENR 095 (Developmental Reading II), MAT 090 (Pre-algebra), and MAT 095 (Developmental Algebra 1). These courses are offered through the Departments of English and Theatre and Mathematics and Statistics.

The University measures skill proficiencies in writing, reading, and mathematics by student performance on the ACT, SAT and EKU placement tests. Initial course placement is based on the ACT or SAT exam scores.  Therefore, all students are responsible for having ACT or SAT scores and subscores on file at the University.  Placement in, and successful completion of, specified coursework is required of students who do not demonstrate proficiency through testing or college transfer course work. 

The reading section of the ACT is used to identify students who may have difficulty with college level reading material and are required to take developmental courses. The following guidelines have been established.

• ACT Reading score 01-14 - placement in ENR 090
• ACT Reading score 15-17 - placement in ENR 095
• ACT Reading score 18 or above or a sum of the SAT verbal/critical reading and mathematics score 870 - basic reading skills are assumed

For more information about the Developmental Education Program at Eastern Kentucky University, visit the Developmental Education web-page at http://www.developmentaleducation.eku.edu/.

The Developmental Reading Program

The Developmental Reading Program is administered through the Department of English and Theatre, and coordinated through the department's General Education and Developmental Committee, currently chaired by Dr. Milde.

Dr. Milde also serves as the Acting Developmental Education Coordinator. You may reach him at Case Annex 489, 622-3181, robert.milde@eku.edu.

Course Objectives: The Department of English and Theatre adopted a new strategic plan for 2006-2010 (PDF file). Included in this plan are objectives for Developmental Reading. Instructors may want to include these objectives in course syllabi:

1. Students will demonstrate the ability to apply an active reading process by choosing appropriate strategies that develop vocabulary and enable both comprehension and critical analysis of ideas in texts.
2. Students will demonstrate the ability to construct meaning from text by making connections with their own knowledge and experience.
3. Students will demonstrate the ability to apply reading to learn strategies in various disciplines.

Key Performance Indicator and Criterion: 75% of students who take the ENR 095 final exam will score at the "average" or "above average" level.

Teaching strategies: follow this link to "Effective Teaching Strategies for the College Reading Instructor".

For a bibliography of selected books and articles about developmental reading, click here: Resources list

For a wealth of teaching resources from EKU's Teaching and Learning Center click on: http://www.tlc.eku.edu/tips/

Syllabi: All instructors are required to include a number of items in the course syllabus: for the university policy on syllabi go to:

http://www.academicaffairs.eku.edu/facultyhandbook/2007-2008/PART5.php#syllabus

Additionally, developmental courses must include developmental education policies: follow this link to sample syllabi for ENR 090 and ENR 095. Syllabi links to ENR 090 and ENR 095. Be sure to include your EKU e-mail address and office address under personal information. Course syllabi should be distributed to each student during the first class period.

You may review all the Developmental Education Program policies at http://www.developmentaleducation.eku.edu/

For the academic calendar go to http://www.eku.edu/compass/

Textbooks: Faculty members are free to choose the textbook/s for the ENR courses, although the General Education and Developmental Committee does select default textbooks each year. These texts are chosen for their explicit instruction in and practice of active reading strategies. The current default texts are:

ENR 090 Opening Doors, 5th ed. by Joe Cortina and Janet Elder (ISBN: 07-340713-5) (McGraw Hill)

ENR 095 The Art of Critical Reading by Mather and McCarthy (ISBN: 0-07-241376-X) (McGraw Hill)

To get copies of these texts contact Ginny Hunt, Senior Office Associate in the Department of English and Theatre, Case Annex 467, 622-2093, or ginny.hunt@eku.edu

If you are interested in considering other texts, members of the reading faculty have exam copies of many texts: contact Dr. Milde to look at other options, or you may contact book publishers and request exam copies. If you would like to suggest textbooks for consideration by the committee, please contact Dr. Milde. The Department of English and Theatre notifies all faculty members when textbook orders are due (generally mid-spring for fall semester and mid- fall for spring semester).

In addition to the textbook, instructors also often choose a novel or non-fiction book to encourage other reading in the ENR courses (See the link to the Book List ENR 2006 for a list of suggested high-interest titles). Some instructors also use the EKU Freshman book, in 2008 the book is Ron Suskind's A Hope in the Unseen (copies usually available from Ginny Hunt at ginny.hunt@eku.edu).

Some instructors also like to use resources such as USA TODAY in their courses. Go to www.usatodaycollege.com and find the button called Case Studies. After clicking on that button, 50 articles on the subject matter are available, presented with a newspaper-like appearance when downloaded (as .pdf documents). Each case study contains a set of "Discussion questions and future implications." Some subjects or case studies that might be particularly appealing to students are: "College Gambling," "Alcohol Abuse on Campus," "Money Matters for College Students," "Forensic Science," "Foodology 101," and "10 Hardest Things To Do in Sports." Students can download the articles without charge.

Here is the "Overview" provided by the site itself:

USA TODAY's case studies are somewhat non-traditional. They are designed to provide an introduction to and discussion of current issues as a starting point for more ambitious research projects. Each is comprised of an article or a collection of articles researched, written and published recently by USA TODAY. Each examines thought-provoking topics related to a broad range of issues with discussion questions developed in collaboration with professors and subject matter experts.

USA TODAY's Collegiate Case Studies ask students to understand and analyze the multiple facets of nuanced issues, explore solutions to complex problems, synthesize information, evaluate the logic, relevance and validity of arguments, and extend their own thinking beyond the topic at hand.

Like most case studies, the objective is to bring students to an understanding of an issue or event through the examination of real-life situations.

Representing diverse perspectives: The ENR Committee chooses textbooks and supplementary reading materials that value diverse points of view. Instructors are encouraged to acknowledge and value students' diverse backgrounds by choosing texts that represent a variety of backgrounds, perspectives and experiences.

Accommodations for Students with Disabilities: Every syllabus must include the following standardized statement from the Office of Services for Individuals with Disabilities (OSID):

Accommodations for Students with Disabilities: If you are registered with the Office of Services for Individuals with Disabilities, please make an appointment with the course instructor to discuss any academic accommodations you need. If you need academic accommodations and are not registered with the Office of Services for Individuals with Disabilities, please contact the Office on the third floor of the Student Services Building, by email at disserv@eku.edu or by telephone at (859) 622-2933 V/TDD. Upon individual request, this syllabus can be made available in alternative forms.

Students who have registered with the OSID will present instructors with a form from OSID requesting the necessary accommodations. Instructors are required to make these accommodations. Any questions should be directed to Teresa Belluscio, Assistant Director of OSID, SSB 315, 622- 2933 or teresa.belluscio@eku.edu

Attendance Policy: All ENR courses must comply with the Department of English and Theatre attendance policy and must include this attendance policy on the syllabus. This policy is included in all instructors' Blackboard course sites. You may also access the policy on the department web site at: http://www.english.eku.edu/attendance_policy.doc

Placement: any questions or concerns about the appropriate placement of students in ENR courses should be addressed to Sue Cain, Director of Transition and University Services, SSB 326, 622-2306, sue.cain@eku.edu.

Final Exam:
A common, departmental exam should be given to students enrolled in ENR 090 and 095 courses. The Reading Work Group develops the exam each semester and welcomes input from all ENR instructors. If you would like to suggest testing formats, look at copies of past exams and use them as practice exams with your students, contact Dr. Rob Milde at robert.milde@eku.edu.

The ENR Committee recommends that you allow two class periods to give the final exam during the last week of scheduled classes. You can then use finals week to contact any students who fail the course so they can adjust their schedules for the fall semester.

To satisfactorily pass ENR 095 students must:

1. comply with the departmental attendance policy
2. earn a C (70%) or better in the course
3. take the final exam, which will count for 15% of the final grade

To satisfactorily pass ENR 090 students must:

1. comply with the departmental attendance policy
2. earn a C (70%) or better in the course

It is recommended that ENR 090 instructors give the Department ENR 095 final exam and that it count for 15% of the final grade. The test could be given as part of a larger comprehensive exam for the course.

Instructors should develop ENR 090 criteria for satisfactorily passing the Department ENR 095 exam that are distinct from the ENR 095 criteria for satisfactorily passing the exam, for example:

The ENR 090 exam should count the objective and process portions of the exam as a larger percentage of the grade than the summary/response writing for 2 reasons:

1. ENR 090 students generally have significant trouble with writing and that should be considered a possible intervening factor;
2. In ENR 090 we don’t generally work as long on writing summaries as we do on reading strategies, identifying/understanding main ideas, the author's thesis and approach to proving it. Therefore, the summary/response should count as a smaller percentage of the exam grade.

To satisfactorily pass ENR 090 and have the ENR 095 requirement waived, students must:

1. comply with the departmental attendance policy
2. earn an A in the course
3. satisfactorily pass the Department ENR 095 final exam according to the criteria established for ENR 095

If these criteria are met, the instructor must work with the student to gain permission for by-passing ENR 095 by contacting Sue Cain, Director of Transition and University Services, SSB 326, 622-2306, sue.cain@eku.edu.

Standards of Achievement: students who complete the Developmental Reading Program should have the reading skills and ability to succeed in college level courses. The ENR 095 final exam provides one standard of achievement.

A guide for English and reading standards expected by post-secondary institutions in Kentucky is available at http://cpe.ky.gov/policies/academicpolicies/admissions.

A new report by the Carnegie Corporation of New York suggests best practices for increasing adolescents' literacy skills and is a useful resource for developmental reading instructors. http://www.all4ed.org/publications/ReadingNext/ReadingNext.pdf.

Faculty Support: Resources for new faculty may be accessed through EKU's Faculty and Staff Orientation page at: http://www.eku.edu/facultystaff/orientation/.

The Department of English and Theatre sponsors occasional forums and lunches for an informal sharing of ideas related to teaching and faculty life. These are announced via the department listserv over the EKU e-mail account.

The Reading Work Group is also available to suggest resources or to share ideas about teaching developmental reading. For information about being matched with a mentor, arranging peer observation, or professional development opportunities contact Dr. Rob Milde at robert.milde@eku.edu.

Other Resources
There are many reading and study strategy sites on the World Wide Web.  Some instructors link these to their Blackboard sites to provide extra resources for students. Examples of these may be found at:

http://www.ccis.edu/departments/writingcenter/studyskills.html
http://www.cerritos.edu/reading/tutorials.htm
http://www.isu.edu/~kingkath/readstrt.html
http://www.providence.edu/OAS/Shop/Reading.htm
http://www.dartmouth.edu/~acskills/success/reading.html

Speedreader, computer software that helps students practice reading efficiency, is available on computers in the Department of English and Theatre computer labs. To schedule time in the labs contact Barbara Szubinska at barbara.szubinska@eku.edu

Reading skills DVD's are available through the department by contacting Pat Roberts at pat.roberts@eku.edu.

Titles include:

"Reading: Main Ideas and Details"
"English Composition: Writing for an Audience (includes a segment called “Reading as a Thinker")
"How to Read a Textbook"

June 2008