1. Co-Requisite Learning Support at Columbia State Community College:
The Perks and the Pitfalls

2. About Columbia State Community College
Tennessee Board of Regents (TBR) system –
6 universities, 13 community colleges, 27 colleges of applied technology
Nine county service area
Five campuses
Fall 2015 enrollment: 5,297
Mean age: 22.7; Median age 20
Fall 2015: 3,023 receiving financial aid (2,139 PELL)
Fall % of students enrolled in Learning Support
24% LS Reading
25% LS English
39% LS Math

3. Before the Co-Requisite
Fall 2013 Passing Rates for Completers:
LS MATH – 49% (Emporium Model: 5 algebra-based competencies; one 3-hour course)
LS READ – 66% (Emporium Model: 2 levels for reading skills; one 3-hour course)
LS ENGL – 64% (Emporium Model: 2 levels for writing skills; one 3-hour course)
MATH 1010 – 74% (broad spectrum math; one 3-hour course)
MATH 1530 – 77.6% (elementary statistics; one 3-hour course)
ENGL 1010 – 81.9% (argument and research; one 3-hour class)

4. Co-Requisite Math Fall 2015
Course
Enrolled
Passed
Passing Rate
MATH 0010
161
Not collected by course
MATH 1010 80
49.7%
MATH 0530
465
MATH 1530
240
51.6%
LS MATH
670*
414*
61.8%*
MATH 1010/1530
626 (631 *)
321*
50.9%*
*Data provided by Tennessee Board of Regents

5. Co-Requisite Reading Fall 2015
Course
Enrolled*
Passed*
Passing Rate*
READ 0800/0802
394
232
53.9%
ENGL 1010
191
48.5%
*Data provided by Tennessee Board of Regents
394 out of 1887 ENGL 1010 students were also registered for READ 0800/0802.
268 out of 1887 ENGL 1010 students were registered for READ 0800/0802 and ENGL 0800/0802

6. Co-requisite English Fall 2015
Course
Enrolled*
Passed*
Passing Rate*
ENGL 0800/0802
436
231
53%
ENGL 1010
435
211
48.5%
*Data provided by Tennessee Board of Regents
435 out of 1887 ENGL 1010 students were also registered for ENGL 0800/0802.
268 out of 1887 ENGL 1010 students were registered for READ 0800/0802 and ENGL 0800/0802

7. Comparison COURSE FALL 2013: ENROLLED FALL 2013 : PASSED FALL 2013
ENGL 1010
1,174
962
81.9%
1,886 (61% INCREASE IN ENROLLMENT)
NO CO-REQ: 1,013
CO-REQ:
TOTAL: ,322
70.1%
MATH 1010
131 97
74%
266 (103% INCREASE IN ENROLLMENT)
NO CO-REQ:
CO-REQ:
TOTAL:
59%
MATH 1530
513
398
77.6%
1,084 (111% INCREASE IN ENROLLMENT)
NO CO-REQ:
CO-REQ:
TOTAL:
66.1%

8. Comparison LS MATH 594 (1ST attempt) 303 670 (644 1st attempt)
COURSE
FALL 2013
ENROLLED
COMPLETED
SPRING 2014 ENROLLED
SPRING 2014 COMPLETED
SPRING 2014 COLLEGE-LEVEL COMPLETION RATE FOR LS
FALL 2015 ENROLLED
FALL 2015 COMPLETED
FALL 2015 COLLEGE-LEVEL COMPLETION RATE FOR LS
LS MATH
594 (1ST attempt)
303
670 (644 1st attempt)
414(402 1st attempt)
MATH 1530 AND MATH 1010
174 (Includes MATH 1000)
121 (Includes MATH 1000)
20.4%
631 (612 1st attempt)
321 (318 1st attempt)
50.9% (52% 1st attempt)
LS ENGL
249 (1ST attempt)
156
436 (423 1st attempt)
231 (224 1st attempt)
ENGL 1010
111 86
34.5%
435 (423 1st attempt)
211 (207 1st attempt)
48.5% (49% 1st attempt)

9. Perks
Students complete Learning Support classes and college-level classes in a single term.
In some instances, the same faculty may serve as instructor for both levels.
At the end of the year, more students will have completed the college-level class than did so in the prepare for credit model.
The Learning Support class can augment the college-level class.
The TBR allowed institutions to implement the co-requisite model according to the individual institution’s needs.

10. Pitfalls Strain on faculty resources
Finding additional qualified faculty
Academic strain on underprepared students
9-hour language arts block
Inconsistency in the college-level class
Inconsistency in co-requisite implementation across the TBR
Limited communication between the LS and college-level faculty
Casual student attitudes regarding the LS class
Student attendance concerns
Financial strain on students who fail and lose financial aid
No stand-alone sections for students who are not up to the academic challenge
Idiosyncrasies of BANNER (information system)

11. Future Plans Make all Learning Support classes two credit hours only
Allow early exit from LS Reading and LS Math classes
Pair sections of LS English with sections of English 1010 to be taught by the same faculty
Require two standard writing assignments in every English class
Reinstate our former course description for English 1010, which allow for instruction in multiple rhetorical strategies, as opposed to exclusively argument and persuasive writing
Provide stand-alone LS option to students who passed the college- level class but not the LS class and need to replace the “F” on their transcript

12. Contact
Victoria Gay
Columbia State Community College Hampshire Pike Columbia, TN 38401
(931)