A Call for Change


With a shift in focus from access to completion of degrees, it is now more critical than ever to address the issue of students showing up to college academically unprepared, especially when the national data shows the majority of students who begin in remedial courses never complete their college degrees. Watch the video or continue reading below to hear about the steps Berkshire Community College (BCC) is taking—and piloting—to make a change.



Pass Rates Increased


In the fall of 2014 before the pilot was introduced, 41% of students passed the remedial reading course at BCC. Through the combined efforts of the Disability Resource Center and faculty at BCC, and support from k3000, 94% of students passed the remedial reading course. Watch the video to get the details.

"What I found in this pilot program is that the students who really need the software are using it, and benefitting from it. - Pamela Farron, Coordinator of the Disability Resource Center at BCC"

  • Diana
    "Every single word is like a new planet." Diana's first language is that of her native country, Ecuador, but she also speaks Spanish. Classes she's taking at BCC will help her to develop the English language skills to achieve her dream.
  • Anthony
    "Where I'm from, I talk different. My English is shot." Anthony likes to cook (the secret is in the sauce). He's a student of Culinary Arts at BCC. His main motivator in going to school is his family to do better.
  • Jasmine
    "I never reached out for educational help. So I was stuck." Jasmine is enrolled in BCC's Health Science program. Growing up in a household that focused on helping others, she's working to achieve her goal of becoming an Occupational Therapist.
  • Robert
    "(College reading) was hard, it was way too advanced for me." At just 5-years-old Robert was taking care of his younger brothers and cousins while his mom was at work. Today he's taking classes at BCC and working towards a career that will help him do what he likes best—keep people happy.
  • Aaron
    "Some days it (ADHD) takes hold of me, and I can't do anything about it." Reading and comprehending have always been difficult for Aaron—but he can accomplish anything he puts himself to. He's taking his classes seriously to prepare for his goal of being part of creating what makes a computer think so that he can help the world to be better.

The Statistics Are Staggering

Students who struggle with reading, writing and/or math are increasing at community colleges nationwide. At the same time, the pressure is on to raise graduation rates, meet workforce needs, and close achievement gaps. What's more, in some states, like Massachusetts for example, college funding is now tied to its ability to meet these performance standards.

After learning about the number of students who place in remedial courses at Berkshire Community College (BCC), Pamela Farron, Coordinator of the Disability Resource Center at BCC, proposed a pilot study utilizing k3000 Web Access (firefly), a web-based literacy tool, in their developmental reading courses. Her hypothesis was that utilization of this program would enable students to be more engaged in the learning process, improve their reading placement scores, and minimize time spent in remedial reading.