Does Developmental Education Reform Help or Hinder the Success of Language Minority Students? An Exploration by Language Minority, ESOL, and Foreign-Born Status

Abstract Community colleges may face challenges supporting the unique needs of language minority (LM) students whose primary is not English. Florida provides a context for examining whether LM who are considered underprepared college-level coursework benefit more from traditional developmental education programs in reading and writing, or reformed that allow most to accelerate even bypass requirements while providing additional support services. Utilizing statewide data first-time-in-college at all twenty-eight College System institutions, we use an interrupted time series design with analysis heterogenous effects compare first year coursetaking outcomes English before after Florida's reform versus non-LM students. We also consider intersecting identities by further disaggregating results based on took high school courses Speakers other Languages (ESOL), native-born foreign-born The findings suggest reform's benefits similar overall, there importance differences among subgroups indicating ESOL most.