A review of the academic remediation status and graduation rates of Georgia community college students who were admitted under separate admission standards

The researcher for this study reported on the remedial course requirements and subsequent graduation rates for students entering the nine two year academic community colleges in the University System of Georgia during the academic years of 2005, 2006, and 2007 who were admitted under a SAT/ACT admission policy and who were admitted under a Test Optional/Open admission policy. Those students not requiring remedial courses were eliminated from the purposes of this research project. The researcher obtained data from eight out of nine community colleges that were solicited for an 89% return rate.;The data were reviewed in regard to the number of students admitted under each admission policy, the number who required remedial courses under each admission policy, and the number who subsequently graduated within a two year academic period. The researcher found that 43.7% of all students admitted during the academic years of 2005, 2006, and 2007 required remedial courses. The subsequent graduation rate for those remedial course students within a two year academic period was 11.4%.;The results of this research study found that remedial course requirements were necessary for students entering the community colleges under both admission policies. The percent of SAT/ACT admitted students who required remedial courses ranged from 15% to 43.1% and their graduation rate ranged from 10.4% to 79.1%. The Test Optional/Open admitted students who required remedial courses ranged from 42.4% to 46% with a graduation rate of 8% to 11.7%. It was evident that a considerable number of students were not academically prepared to cope with the rigors of college-level work which necessitated the requirement for those students to enroll in remedial classes.