Navigating Postsecondary Legislation: Examining the Lived Experiences of College Literacy Practitioners Implementing an Education Reform

Introduction: For decades, U.S. reform initiatives and legislations have focused on developmental education (DE), which provides critical and multifaceted support services for postsecondary student success, such as literacy and math courses, tutoring, and advising. Despite this essential role for equitable access to postsecondary education, few studies examine practitioner’s experiences with these legislative changes.

Goals and Methods: This study documented how community college DE literacy practitioners’ lived experiences implementing state-level legislation and reflected on the meanings of these experiences in their lives, practices, and future for the field of DE literacy. An interpretive phenomenological approach, centered on first-person experiences, was used to understand practitioners' actions and reflections, along with my reflexive practices as a DE literacy practitioner. Data was collected from six participants who taught DE literacy courses at a community college in the U.S. before and during the implementation of state-level DE legislation. Data sources included an electronic survey via LISTSERVs for sampling, three interviews, reflexive journals for my reflections, and member-checking (e.g., discussing previous interview summaries). Interviews addressed distinct topics: contextualizing backgrounds, reconstructing experiences, and reflecting on their meanings. I analyzed data using cyclical coding and theme development to enhance understanding of the phenomena with participants’ experiences.

Results: Preliminary analysis showed how practitioners actualized the legislation, influenced by their educational backgrounds and teaching philosophies. Furthermore, they experienced: frustration with previous legislations that, while sensible, overwhelmed them; lack of cooperation from coordinating faculty; and recognition that their DE literacy courses varied based on their educational focuses, particularly in writing or reading.

Conclusions: DE practitioners play vital roles in U.S. postsecondary institutions, particularly at community colleges, where most students need DE support but have limited resources for practitioners. Although their expertise is frequently ignored in legislative decisions, their insights and experiences can inform legislation and enhance student retention and degree completion.