What’s REALLY Happening in Florida? Developmental Education Reform in the Sunshine State
Co-Presenter: Sharisse Turner, Dean of Transitional Studies 
Tallahassee Community College, Tallahassee, Florida
Past-President, Florida Developmental Education Association
Co-Presenter: Dr. Tamera Bertrand Jones, Associate Professor
Higher Education: Department of Educational Leadership & Policy Studies Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida Associate
Director, FSU Center for Postsecondary Success
Although Florida implemented groundbreaking developmental education reform in 2013, there are still several myths about SB 1720 and its impact. What exactly are the provisions of the legislation? How have institutions in Florida responded to the mandates regarding placement testing and developmental education course delivery methods? What does the research say about the impact of the reform on students and their institutions? Sharisse Turner, a dean at Tallahassee Community College, will share her institution’s challenges and triumphs with the reform. Dr. Tamera Bertrand Jones, a professor at Florida State University, will discuss findings from the qualitative and quantitative research conducted by the Center for Postsecondary Success. As policy makers in other states continue to look at the Florida model as a possible template for their own reforms, this presentation seeks to shed light on what is really happening in Florida.
