Posted on 05/30/2011 4:33:01 AM PDT by massmike
By a number of indicators, hundreds of thousands of high school students are graduating unprepared for the rigors of college. Nationally, in 2010, only 24 percent of ACT-tested high school graduates were deemed college ready in all four subjects tested — English, math, reading and science. In Illinois, only 23 percent met those benchmarks.
In 2008, an estimated 44 percent of students under 25 at a public two-year college and 27 percent of all students under 25 at public four-year schools were taking at least one remedial course, according to U.S. Department of Education statistics.
A survey by an education non-profit group showed that four out of five students taking remedial classes graduated from high school with a GPA above 3.0.
(Excerpt) Read more at suntimes.com ...
“I agree. However, I believe a parent may be completely in the dark if their kid’s are bring home good grades. If a child’s report card has A’s and B’s in it, the parent assumes they are doing a good job.”
Low grades do have a motivating effect on some parents, true enough.
I think we should cast the net a bit wider - why are colleges and universities admitting the 30% of students that require remedial classes? Why are they offering them at all?
That money would be better deployed at community colleges where a student wouldn’t be submerged in debt so much as they are pretending they belong in university.
Still, high schools, colleges....it still comes down to parents. If junior scores very low on college entrance/SATs/ACTs then they shouldn’t waste money on college...but again, the parents will blame somebody for loaning them the money to go to college when they (almost inevitably) fail.
What would be a more interesting statistic is how many kids that start in remedial classes actually successfully graduate from college.
Some really disadvantaged families have a hard time putting food on the table much less paying for testing.
They doesn’t teach grammer or speling in skool ennymore
“America is also crying out for some decent tradesmen...who have a much better chance of finding a decent and honest income. “
I would argue that if one cannot graduate from high school without needing remedial courses in college, that they may well have an even tougher time becoming a tradesman, where deficits in things like math become much more painfully obvious when customers will not pay for defective work.
Let’s say for conversation that the boy did have a learning disability and couldn’t read well. The parents knew this fact for years. He didn’t “suddenly” not do well at school. Did they address the school for help? Did they tutor him on the side? If not, then they were the ones who dropped the ball. Sounds to me like they allowed him to do what he wanted, when he wanted.
Can't speak for all colleges, but I can say that the honors floor of the honors college where our son is has a lot of engineer students, from right here in the USA and our son is majoring in plant gentics. He just got a $4,000 Fellowship Research Grant and plans to continue on for his PhD.
“They doesn’t teach grammer or speling in skool ennymore”
Sorry to correct you, but I think you mean:
“They doesn’t teach grammer or speling in skool NO more”
“... interesting statistic is how many kids that start remedial classes successfully graduate”.
That would be a good stat. Like I said, I took my math class at the local community college simply because I needed a teacher rather than a teacher’s assistant (who spoke little to no English). I actually aced the class. To be fair again, many adults will take a remedial math class if they are entering college at a later date (they have been out of math practice for many years). My Mom took a math remedial class when she entered college to become a nurse in her late 40’s. It had been a long time since she had a math class and she did very well. I agree... perhaps a remedial may simply support poor/lacking/not used skills and then it is once again up to the student to achieve.
OMG! WTF? LOL! LOL! LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLO..(slap)
OMG! WTF? LOL! LOL! LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLO..(slap)
You’re right, though lots of teachers face indifferent students and with today’s inflated grades anyone would be crazy to think a 3.0 represented a good level of mastery.
Do you know how much it costs to take an AP test? Years ago, it was around a hundred or so but I am sure it is higher now.
They blame the school for not noticing it earlier. But, um yeah the kid gets to do what he wants, when he wants and he gets nearly everything he wants. I have seen him go into tirades and destroy things and they buy him things to pacify him. Frankly, he’s scary at times. Just over a year ago, he was throwing stuff of his brother’s around the house, the brother went into the living room where this was happening and the younger one grabbed his rifle and hit the older brother in the head with the butt of the rifle.
A big fight ensued, the father was at work, the mother had to call the cops to put an end to it. The younger boy was taken away to juvy. Next day he was home, BUT the older boy was kicked out. Why? Because while the older boy didn’t press charges, the cops did and they both couldn’t be in the same house or together anywhere for a year and a half. The father was mad that the mother called the police.
We took the older one in for a while. That’s how I know what his study habits were like. As far as I know, not a thing happened when it went to court. We got tired of his lies, and his mother’s lies and we ended up tossing him out. He went to live with one of his friends which is what he told me he was going to do when I first picked him up from his home. We haven’t spoken to any of them in almost a year now.
I have a question that sort of fits into your train of thought. There is a high proportion of students in colleges from other states and countries. Tuition is much higher for put of state. Do you really think these students are paying that higher tuition? If not who is paying it for them? That’s what I want to know.
Our son was going to do his first two years at CC but by getting into the honors college, he didn’t need to take unnecessary classes and was able to zone in right away on the classed he needed for his career path. He also has an assistant professorialship, where he gets to work with one of the professors. So, it just made more sens for him to go straight to the honors college and bypass CC. Its just one of those things that you have to weigh the pros and cons.
I feel sorry for you since you and I both know what is going to happen to this kid. Unless reality, religion, or a lot of both don’t slap him in the head, his future is bleak at best. He sounds rather dangerous to me and perhaps not speaking to them is safest for your family IMHO.
“That would be a good stat.”
I think that very very few kids that start in remedial classes actually graduate from college that allows them to make a living (I suppose you have to add the qualifier there....)
“I took my math class at the local community college simply because I needed a teacher rather than a teacher’s assistant”
I completely support community colleges - as there is no other way for students such as yourself - and for capable kids that have had a chance to mature since graduating high school.
Many kids I know go to community college for the first two years because of the cost of a 4-year institution. They have to make sure they are in the right classes so that the credits transfer - but it is possible.
Well that’s great, congratulations. Your son and these classmates are exceptional. I didn’t say there aren’t any good outcomes.
What’s a gentic?
Can you tell me -- if you are willing -- where he is attending college?
When you say "Plant Genetics" I think of Minnesota or Wisconsin or Iowa or Wash. U /St. Louis... (Green Giant / Cargill / Purina / ADM / Monsanto)
Cheers!
I don’t remember and I don’t recall if some might have cost more than others. I can’t remember if we saved $500 or $700 because of unemployment. We always made like a $1000 too much annually to be eligible for anything low income wise, so the layoff came at the right time for us..
Community colleges do offer good benefits. For example, many kids really aren’t ready (maturity etc) to go off a thousand miles away from home. There is a huge difference (IMHO) between an 18 year old and a 20 year old. Community colleges class sizes are smaller (as compared to my Math 110 class that had over 500 students). My community college math class (during the Summer) had about 20. Fortunately, my state’s community colleges credits transfer directly to the state university. Gone are the days when you could have 60 credits and only 3 transfer. They are truly a win-win situation for many. Less costly, credits can transfer, kid gets to live at home (no noisy roommate or costly boarding/food). It is definitely a good option that many parents should consider.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.