UVSC Professor Awarded National Certification
Utah Valley State College professor and Associate Dean for General Academics K.D. Taylor recently received certification as a “Developmental Education Specialist” from the Kellogg Institute for the Training and Certification of Developmental Educators. Taylor was one of only 45 educators selected from across the United States to participate in the Kellogg Institute and its certification process during the 2004-2005 academic year.
The certification process is challenging one, with a summer training program at Appalachian State University in Boone, N.C., followed by a two-semester practicum in which participants implement new techniques on their campuses.
“Receiving the certification certainly boosted my abilities and my understanding of developmental education,” Taylor said. “In today’s society there is a greater need for higher education. Unfortunately, not every student is prepared to face the difficulty of course work on the college level. Developmental education helps to bridge the gap.”
Developmental education is typically meant to help students graduating from high school who struggle with the intensity of higher education classes in general subjects like math and English. As part of her certification, Taylor’s practical application involved observing and researching the effectiveness of various math courses at UVSC. She compared the success of students enrolled in a compressed course to a more traditional series of two courses.
“For the most part I found that students in the compressed version did just as well and in some cases even better than similarly qualified students enrolled in the traditional series of courses.”
Taylor continues her research this semester and is even enlisting help from UVSC statistical research students with surveys and other research tools.
“This experience has really helped me to see the importance of developmental education,” she said. “With specific help, these students can go on to succeed in academics and earn a degree instead of dropping through the cracks.”
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