Shaw, K. M. (1997). Remedial education as ideological battleground: Emerging remedial education policies in the community college. Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis, 19(3), 284-296.
The author describes the current debate about the appropriate location of remedial education classes and their frequent placement with public community colleges. The ideological underpinnings for the debate are examined. Distinctions are drawn between developmental and remedial education and the appropriate implementation by community colleges. Some institutions are strongly controlled by state-level policy making that strictly dictates the implementation of policy down to the individual institution regarding testing, admissions, placement into remedial courses, and the curriculum of such courses. Other states provide guidelines that are open for interpretation by the individual institution. Still other states are not directive regarding such matters which are left for local control. This represents three distinct policy models used by public community colleges in the U.S.