Center for Postsecondary Success, Developmental Education Project, Qualitative Focus Group Interview Protocols

In 2013, the Florida legislature drastically restructured developmental education placement and instruction through Senate Bill 1720. The new law mandates that the 28 state colleges (formerly the community colleges) in the Florida College System (FCS) provide developmental education that is more tailored to the needs of students. This law gives students much more flexibility in deciding whether they need developmental education and how they can go about receiving developmental education instruction. For many students, developmental education and placement tests are now optional regardless of prior academic preparation. In addition, developmental education must now be delivered through a variety of accelerated and co-requisite strategies. The legislation does not mandate the specific programmatic details around each option (it only requires that each option be provided), and therefore allows the individual campuses in the FCS some flexibility in the form and delivery of each option.