The Partnership for College Completion (PCC) released findings today that 64,000 fewer Illinois students were placed into developmental education, non-credit courses that tend to deter students from completing a college degree. “PCC’s Second Progress Report on Reforming Developmental Education in Illinois” evaluates both the successes and the areas of improvement since the Developmental Education Reform Act (DERA) was implemented nearly five years ago.
The report also highlights the impact of PCC’s Illinois Developmental Education Equity in Action (IDEEA) Network, which provided intensive assistance to 17 colleges and universities working to implement corequisite models and align their practices with DERA regulations.
“DERA’s intentions were clear: place more students directly into college-level courses and use evidence-based, corequisite models to maximize their chances of success,” said PCC Executive Director Kyle Southern, Ph.D. “Illinois has made significant progress towards that vision, but our findings show that where and how students are placed still matters, so that every student has an equal opportunity to succeed in their first year of college.”
Since DERA passed in 2021, enrollment in developmental education courses has declined and enrollment in the corequisite model has led to improved student outcomes, representing clear successes. However, equity and compliance challenges persist throughout the state’s higher education system due to inconsistent implementation practices across institutions.
Key findings from the report include:
- Enrollment in developmental education courses declined by an estimated 64,000 students between 2018 and 2023.
- Students in corequisite models are more than three times as likely to pass gateway math and English courses in their first year compared to students in traditional developmental education.
- Students of color and students from low-income backgrounds experienced disproportionately strong gains in corequisite models, though racial disparities in outcomes persist—particularly for Black students.
- Some institutions continue to rely on traditional developmental education or misinterpret placement provisions in the law, limiting full compliance with DERA.
The full report can be found here.