Who's Really Unprepared: Students or Colleges?

Across the country, universities and community colleges are complaining about the high numbers of incoming students who require remediation in order to attend. A seemingly endless string of reports (like this one from  Connecticut) seem to support this problem, and there is plenty of blame and fingerpointing.

Higher Education: Connecticut's College Readiness Gap Big - Courant.com.

The majority of Connecticut's high school graduates who attend the state's community colleges and four smaller universities are not prepared for college work, according to a state-led education group. At least 72 percent of those attending community colleges require remedial or developmental math or English; for the Connecticut state universities — Central, Western, Southern and Eastern — the figure is 65 percent.

 It's easy to jump to the conventional wisdom that the public schools are just lousy, or the majority of students are lazy, techno-hypnotized zombies. But what if we're not asking the right questions.

Consider this: Are all these students really that "unprepared" or has higher education found a new cash cow?

After all, most institutions of higher education, particularly state funded ones, get their money based on how many students enroll, not on how many graduate. The majority of students who enter these higher ed remediation programs languish there until their financial aid and/or their patience runs out.

My question also begs a question: How is "prepared for college" being defined and measured at our institutions of higher learning?  Do we have anything close to consensus on just how "prepared" one needs to be for college anyway? Many use section scores on the college entrance tests or standardized college placement tests to make that determination. Do those tests actually measure what students need to know or do in their freshman courses?  The community college where I teach found that scores on the college entrance test (ACT) did not reliably predict student preparation or success in their college work. We've known for years that SAT/ACT scores do not accurately predict the college potential of Black and Hispanic students. Is it really about preparation or gatekeeping?

For traditional students, if the high school courses and state-mandated tests these students took did not prepare them for college level work, will the often hastily constructed or poorly taught remediation programs be any more helpful?  For the increasing numbers of non-traditional students (displaced workers, career shifters, immigrants, returning vets, late bloomers..."), what other realistic option do they have besides college, especially community college, to restart their education, especially if they already have a high school diploma earned years ago?

 I teach community college freshman, and yes, they come with widely varying levels of knowledge and skills. But isn't that why we teach? To meet students where they are and help them develop? Are we ready to shift our collective paradigm from thinking of college education only for the very top students, or as the next step in the educational continuum for whoever needs or wants to continue formal learning?

Comments

[TeachMoore]

P.S. Hechinger Report just did an interesting story on work being done around the country to improve the quality of of remediation programs. Check here: http://snipurl.com/1duggz

[Jannet Mathews]

This just goes to show that good education is difficult to come by. The best solution is for parents and students to do their research and plan ahead. They could start out with "What course do I want?" and move on to "Which school gives the best quality education?" That way they will get the most out of their chosen paths.

[TeachMoore]

Yes and no, Janet. What it really shows is how disjointed and poorly planned our educational system is. Parents and students should not have to "shop around" for quality education in the US public education system. The quality should be a given. They might have to compare for other aspects (location, emphasis, etc). Good education for the children of the world's richest and most powerful nation should NOT be hard to come by.

[Aurora Orsini]

Let me share a few things. In South Korea, education is their number one concern. Many are saying that for Koreans, education is more important than life itself, slight exaggeration but close to it. For Koreans, the college entrance exam is their first right of passage. Entrance exam dates are so important in Korea--they are public holidays. Korean students prepare for months, sometimes YEARS for this exam, and joining the best university is the key to the future. Some spend a lot of money for academies, review centers, and even phone English classes. You can see that they are literally obsessed with education. Judging from what we know, I guess we could learn a thing or two from them.