South By North Strategies, Ltd.

A recent research report from the N.C. Budget and Tax Center proposed “four evidence-based policy directions” for strengthening the developmental education courses offered through the North Carolina Community College System.

Demand for a workforce with more skills training and education is necessarily driving the need for reform of developmental education in North Carolina. It is unfortunate the movement toward this critical economic goal is building just as the state faces its third year of fiscal challenges, which the legislature is responding to by cutting investments rather than seeking new revenue sources. The results will hopefully not impact the important efforts underway in the community college system to ensure that students are successful achieving the goals of their educational programs.
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Private foundations that have heretofore seeded developmental education initiatives should not be left alone to support greater scale. The state of North Carolina has a stake in the outcomes that community colleges are able to achieve and thus should be investing innovation and reform. It is equally important that policymakers and the system be guided by the goal of ensuring that reform and innovation are accessible to all and capable of serving those with the greatest barriers to success. Adult workers who enroll in skills training and post-secondary education must be considered in the design and implementation of policies and programs. Their success in attaining credentials or degrees will be critical to their ability to earn family-sustaining wages and support North Carolina’s strong economy in the future.