The major purposes of this study were to gather information on the employment status and location of students who completed four or more courses in the technical-industrial program at Tyler Junior College, Tyler, Texas; to identify factors that influenced them in selecting Tyler Junior College and taking courses in the technical-industrial program; to ascertain in some measure the effectiveness of the training these students received in preparing them for the positions they have held and now hold; and to secure data and information which the faculty and administration at Tyler Junior College may use in evaluating the present program with respect to future changes and improvements.

Although nearly forty years of research has revealed and confirmed practices related to developmental student success, many developmental programs have failed to provide effective intervention. In an effort to organize for developmental student success, Tyler Junior College restructured its developmental program to reflect the needs of their underprepared students and research proven best practices. In one year, they were able to document dramatic results in improved student success. The purpose of this research was to understand the experiences of those involved in changing this developmental program and to generate a theory which explained how they improved the program’s effectiveness. Three basic research questions guided this information gathering process: 1. What were the experiences of the administrators, faculty and support staff in improving a developmental education program? 2. What were the relationships among the experiences of the administrators, faculty and support staff in improving a developmental education program? 3. How did the perceptions of the administration, faculty and support services staff compare? By using the protocol of Interactive Quantitative Analysis, this case study provided an opportunity for those involved in making these changes to tell their stories. These rich descriptions of experiences and perceptions were synthesized into a theory that described how they improved the program’s effectiveness. When compared to related contexts, the results could be useful for making similar transitions elsewhere. / text

Thesis (D. Min.)--New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, 1993. / Includes abstract and vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 189-196).