There is an ongoing need for practical information on the effectiveness of programs and services addressing developmental students in mathematics. Most higher-learning institutions offer some format of a compressed, accelerated or condensed class during the traditional semester. This paper examines instructor perceptions regarding the efficacy and effectiveness of intensive courses at the developmental level. This study used a mixed method approach which compared two sets of developmental math courses: intensive and semester length basic algebra and intermediate algebra classes. All classes were taught by the same instructors that participated in the study, and the used the same books and materials; the only differences were the scheduled formats. The study incorporated in depth interviews addressing faculty perception of student success in intense courses at the developmental level compared to traditional length courses. The results of the study indicate that in general, students taking developmental algebra courses over eight weeks fare better than students who take developmental algebra courses over a traditional sixteen-week period. The results from the study helped the research site understand the phenomenon occurring in summer classes compared to semester length classes. The surprise perception was that the compressed format is not the key to the success of the compressed class, rather the everyday contact hours associated with the compressed format. The insights from the study assisted the research site in redesigning some of the developmental math courses for the upcoming year. Furthermore, these results have potential importance beyond math education and provide support to other community colleges to better serve individual student needs. This study needs replication with a larger sample.