As Texas institutions work to implement corequisite courses, the Deepening Corequisites Across Texas (DCAT) project continues to assist both two- and four-year institutions in overcoming shared challenges. Through one-on-one support, webinars, and a growing Community of Practice, DCAT is leading a statewide initiative that could serve as a model for corequisite partnerships in other states.
The effort to unite universities and colleges highlights a critical need: institutions must align their strategies to better support students. While no single corequisite model is universally optimal, some emerging best practices could be collectively used to address inconsistencies in corequisites.
Two-year colleges have been at the forefront of implementing and refining corequisite education. However, the situation is less clear for four-year institutions in Texas. Historically, these institutions either did not need to address developmental education or adopted different approaches, often focusing on traditional prerequisite models like beginning algebra. Consequently, many four-year institutions are just starting their corequisite journeys and exploring how best to integrate these models into their systems.
Moreover, two- and four-year institutions often operate independently, resulting in disconnects and discrepancies in how they approach corequisite practices. Bridging this gap is crucial for institutional success and for students who frequently transition between these systems.
Initiatives like DCAT offer four-year institutions a unique opportunity to learn from the experiences of their two-year counterparts, who have years of iteration in corequisite education. Two-year colleges bring fresh perspectives, innovative ideas, and valuable insights that enrich the conversation. As a result, four-year institutions can accelerate their efforts while avoiding common pitfalls by building on proven strategies.
Through intentional guidance, DCAT assists all types of institutions in enhancing student success by focusing on key priorities:
By fostering collaboration, DCAT empowers institutions to align their efforts and build a more effective system with a cohesive educational pathway that meets all students' needs.
Corequisite education is becoming a national priority as more students benefit from being placed directly into transfer-level courses. DCAT's focus on improving systemic practices aims to strengthen partnerships between two- and four-year institutions—closing achievement gaps and stabilizing student transfers in the process. All students deserve consistent, high-quality guidance throughout their educational journeys; corequisites achieve this by eliminating remedial education barriers and placing students directly into credit-bearing courses with just-in-time instructional support.
Progress is already underway! Conversations between two- and four-year institutions are happening now, fostering the alignment necessary to guide students effectively. This work is particularly important as many states begin implementing corequisite education due either to legislative requirements or because they recognize that corequisites are best suited for students needing support.
The upcoming Spring 2025 DCAT conference will provide a platform for two- and four-year institutions to share insights, discuss challenges, and collaborate on solutions. As DCAT aims to solidify a unified approach to corequisite education across Texas, it remains committed to fostering collaboration, scaling effective strategies, and ensuring access to high-quality mathematics education.
