College Skills Found Lacking

marite · 08-17-2005, 09:56 AM

From the NYT, Aug. 17, 2005:

'"Only about half of this year's high school graduates have the reading skills they need to succeed in college and even fewer are prepared for college-level science and math courses, according to a yearly report from ACT, which produces one the nation's leading college admission tests.

The report, based on scores of the 2005 high school graduates who took the exam, some 1.2 million students in all, also found that fewer than 1 in 4 met the college-readiness benchmarks in all four subjects tested: reading comprehension, English, math and science."

bluealien01 · 08-17-2005, 09:59 AM

Is that the entire article? I honestly have to agree with it to an extent. In high school I remember when the teacher asked students to read out aloud from whatever book we were reading and discussing at the time as a class, and there were some slow reading people. And these were college prep classes. Maybe I should have been in honors....:/ It was almost painful. Is it normal for a 3 year old to sound out syllables when they are learning to read? Yes. Normal for a high school student? Eh...no.

marite · 08-17-2005, 10:01 AM

No, there's more. Perhaps someone else can provide the link, though one needs to register to access the article.

hazmat · 08-17-2005, 10:13 AM

[url]http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/17/education/17scores.html

sybbie719 · 08-17-2005, 10:15 AM

Many Going to College Aren't Ready, Report Finds

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/17/ed.../17scores.html

Only about half of this year's high school graduates have the reading skills they need to succeed in college, and even fewer are prepared for college-level science and math courses, according to a yearly report from ACT, which produces one of the nation's leading college admissions tests.

The report, based on scores of the 2005 high school graduates who took the exam, some 1.2 million students in all, also found that fewer than one in four met the college-readiness benchmarks in all four subjects tested: reading comprehension, English, math and science.

"It is very likely that hundreds of thousands of students will have a disconnect between their plans for college and the cold reality of their readiness for college," Richard L. Ferguson, chief executive of ACT, said in an online news conference yesterday.

ACT sets its college-readiness benchmarks - including the reading comprehension benchmark, which is new this year - by correlating earlier students' ACT scores with grades they actually received as college freshmen. Based on that data, the benchmarks indicate the skill level at which a student has a 70 percent likelihood of earning a C or better, and a 50 percent chance of earning a B or better.

driver · 08-17-2005, 10:20 AM

Quote:

In fact, only 56 percent of this year's graduates who took the ACT had completed the recommended core curriculum for college-bound students: four years of English and three years each of social studies, science and math at the level of algebra or higher. Those who do complete the core curriculum are far more likely to meet college readiness standards, Dr. Ferguson said, but the percentage who complete that core has been falling. "The message doesn't seem to be getting though," he said.

It seems sadly predictable that if you don't take the prerequisite courses, you won't be able to handle the next step. So, who's responsible for this glaring failure? How can only 56% of college bound students have taken the basics in HS? What were they doing? What were their parents, teachers, and school boards doing?

kathiep · 08-17-2005, 10:22 AM

I read it in our local paper, The Morning Call, but cannot find a link for it from their website either.

sybbie719 · 08-17-2005, 10:29 AM

Sometimes I wonder with students wanting to "fast track" through high school, taking tons of AP courses as early as freshman year and not really getting a foundation in the basics is also contibuting to this lack of readiness

In addition, many schools are hard pressed to teach to the test or to ensure that they are meeting standards, are they really even taking the time to teach the basics

hazmat · 08-17-2005, 10:35 AM

One of the migrating problems associated with this problem is that colleges are then compelled to offer remedial courses which folks are paying for with high cost tuition dollars......this uses college resources to serve the low end of the spectrum. Some state schools are now making the remedial courses available at community colleges so in the end the consumer is paying higher cost for what didn't happen in the HS or Middle School.

marite · 08-17-2005, 10:47 AM

Sybbie:

I doubt that fast tracking and taking APs is the root of the problem.. More likely, as Bluealien recounted, students enter high school and take college prep courses but read at grade 6 level or even below.

hazmat · 08-17-2005, 10:50 AM

Is this problem reflected in the scores on critical reading? While I am not surprised about the ACT for it is many times used in more rural communities....perhaps they have lower standards. I am curious about the critical reading scores on standardized exams.

marite · 08-17-2005, 11:08 AM

Hazmat:

Here are the scores

Subject test/benchmark/% meeting benchmark
English / 16 / 68
reading / 21 / 51
math / 22 / 41
science / 24/ 26
All 4 / /21

hazmat · 08-17-2005, 11:11 AM

I just knew you would be on this~ it does look bad doesn't it?

DVMMOM · 08-17-2005, 01:00 PM

It seems to me that the message here is more about changes in the college bound demographics than any deterioration in preparation. A substantial portion of high school graduates are not ready or maybe even able to succeed in college. That is not something new. What is changing is the opportunity and necessity of going to college. Many jobs that one could qualify for in the past with just a high school diploma now require a college degree. Many students who in the past would have been discouraged from considering college are now urged to attend. In many districts technical and vocational programs have been gutted as more resources are dedicated to college prep for all. College is becoming the path of least resistance for many students.

Don't get me wrong, I think that public schools should be providing all with the opportunity to build an academic foundation capable of supporting college level classes. I just don't think that the PC idea that with the right preparation everyone but the profoundly learning disabled can go on to college and succeed is realistic or wise. A shocking percent of those starting college fail to finish. Degree inflation is making a bachelors degree worth not much more than the high school diploma of 30 years ago. I can't help thinking that when all us college grads need a plumber in 10 years the s*** is going to literally hit the fan!

hazmat · 08-17-2005, 01:04 PM

I think you are saying that more kids are in the college prep curriculum and probably shouldn't be. The current PC atmosphere being that "everyone" should attend college has forced inclusion of students who shouldn't be in the cue. While not questioning your premise I wonder how it is that some 50% of the kids do so poorly. Are you saying that the poor achievers is the percentage you would expect??