Steven Johnson, President, Sinclair Community College, Dayton, OH, discusses issues related to approaches to developmental education and student supports at Sinclair and nationally, based on continuous learning about what works to increase student success. Ultimately, Johnson posits, the number of positive relationships and a bundled portfolio of supports may be more important to students and to student success than the mastery of curricula.

At Sinclair, 12-15 percent of all instruction at the college is developmental education. The college has been developing a full gamut of approaches related to dev ed, from teaching, aligning curricula, grading, to advising, mentoring, placement, etc. for some time. Data have shown that intervening early with student supports, outside of academics, have a real impact on student success.

Sinclair, like some other colleges, particularly those in the Developmental Education Initiative (DEI), are continually learning to improve their interventions and find new opportunities to support students, especially to build positive relationships with students.

One size does not fit all.

Steven Johnson posits that the number of positive relationships and a bundled portfolio of supports may be more important to students and to student success than the mastery of curricula. Whether those in education can scale this portfolio of relationships and support, using mass customization to help students manage the complex aspects of real life, is the question for the future of the work.