Remedial Courses Perform Important Service, Report Concludes

By Julie Blair

At a time when many politicians and educators are criticizing college-level remedial classes as expensive and inappropriate, a study released last week finds such help is a "core function" of higher education and proclaims it a "good investment" for society.

The study, conducted by the Institute for Higher Education, a nonprofit research group in Washington, and financed by the New York City-based Ford Foundation, found that the cost of remedial education is modest compared with that of other academic programs. And it is a necessity in a nation where 80 percent of jobs require some education beyond high school, the report argues.

"I'm very troubled by the conversation in the past year or so," said Jamie J. Merisotis, the president of the institute. "Policy discussion has proceeded without the basic facts about how remediation works and what the likely impact of...