Closing Math and Reading Skill Gaps

First-year college students at all achievement levels are displaying readiness gaps in math and reading. The causes of this readiness crisis include pedagogical shifts, admissions and standardized test policy changes, and technological disruptions. Corequisite supports, which provide students with extra class time to close skill gaps, are often thought of as the solution to readiness challenges. However, recent research has shown that corequisite supports are not always effective in their current form. Corequisites alone generally lead more students to pass gateway courses, but they also result in more students failing gateway courses. Additionally, research has found that corequisites do little to help students persist toward graduation.

To address growing readiness gaps, higher ed institutions need to move beyond changing structure alone to shifting the pedagogical practices for developmental education. This roundtable will showcase institutions that have adjusted pedagogy by using the science of learning to successfully close skill gaps. Attendees will learn about a range of approaches to developmental education programs so that they can choose the option that works best given their context.

Session

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Attendance is best suited for deans, department chairs, and vice presidents of academic affairs in higher education.

• Wednesday, October 14, 2026 | 2:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. Eastern Time