Students who do well in high school math classes often end up in remedial math in college. Kansas City Area Education Research Consortium (KC-AERC) will look at math scores, course-taking patterns in high school, college math placement scores and interest in STEM fields to determine why.If you're done with high school and can't perform at a university level, you shouldn't be at a university. Go to a junior/community college and get your skills up to snuff. As a taxpayer I pay too much for the UC/CSU system for them to include a repeat of the K-12 curriculum.
Education, politics, and anything else that catches my attention.
Saturday, August 13, 2011
There Shouldn't Even Be Remedial Math And English At Universities
We don't even know why so many students nationwide need remedial math in college, but we may find out:
I'll have to disagree with you on this. A brother-in-law went to poor rural schools in Ohio and did quite well, but, through no fault of his own, still needed remedial English and math at Ohio State.
ReplyDeleteIt took him an extra year of college to get caught up but he graduated number one in his class with a doctorate in veterinary science. I realize he is the exception, but we need to be prepared to accommodate exceptional students.
I'd go further; any remediation at a level less than HS junior-level, real college-prep classes should be done by the k-12 system, at night school or a separate site AND with no additional funding. The k-12 system has inflated grades and reduced the knowledge and skills required for graduation to the point that graduates may well be only partly literate and numerate; it should be responsible for its misdeeds. I would also say that taxpayers shouldn't pay for remedial coursework at CCs or for Pell Grants for kids below the SAT/ACT scores corresponding to likely college success. Those unprepared for college work shouldn't be in college. Also, save some more money by drastic cuts to admin of all kinds and elimination of all aggrieved-victim classes and departments; there are vastly too many admins and those classes are ideology, not education.
ReplyDeleteThere are plenty of people who *can* succeed in remedial courses, that's not my point. My point is that they shouldn't take those remedial courses at a university, but should only get into the university when they're academically ready. It doesn't really matter whose fault it is that they're not ready.
ReplyDeleteYou are most likely going to pay for it either way, unless they go to a private school. I am just happy they are pursuing learning. My older son graduated from Beverly Hills High and did well in the sciences and math. He did have to take bone head English at Cal Poly, but so what? One class and he was up to speed. Graduated and started working right away.
ReplyDeleteAs a taxpayer I'd rather pay for it at a JC than at the rates charged by CSU/UC.
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