The California State University system is putting the pressure
on students used to getting second chances in high school
– it’s one shot to pass remedial English and math and you’re
out.
The California State University system is putting the pressure on students used to getting second chances in high school – it’s one shot to pass remedial English and math and you’re out. By 2012, freshmen will have to take classes at a junior college, summer school or a bridge program if they are not apt to pass remedial classes in a single try.
“The idea is to encourage high school and community colleges to provide remedial education to focus on the remedial work, so we can focus on college-level work that is mandated,” said San Jose State University media relations director Pat Lopes Harris.
The change comes after nearly a decade by the CSU system to reduce the number of unprepared students who step foot on its campuses – the goal was 10 percent then – now, about 60 percent of CSU freshmen are deficient in English, math or both.
At Morgan Hill high schools, students with the acumen needed to be accepted by a CSU or University of California school is 34 percent at Live Oak and 47 percent at Ann Sobrato, according to 2008 data. Asian students account for the highest percentage that go to college from both high schools, although there are very few at each school.
Roughly 35 percent of all students will actually enroll in a four-year college out of Live Oak or Sobrato. With the new policy, once they reach freshmen year students will have the skills needed to dive into college-level research papers, reading and math, and not spend a year or more taking remedial classes that won’t count toward graduation.
Officials say students will not be rejected if they complete remedial courses before freshmen year but still need more help. SJSU is in the planning stages of its “Early Start” program – a cost that will not be paid for by the CSU system, but by each college, Harris said.
The message to high schools? Prepare students now, CSU officials noted when the policy was approved March 17.
In March, the Morgan Hill Unified School District authorized the exchange of 12 applied arts electives for more remedial classes in English and math, tentatively, at the junior highs and high schools. The district’s decision was done in part to save money by reducing the number of teachers, but also to aid students in graduating and prepare them for college if they choose to attend; remedial credits earned in high school cannot go toward college remediation. The hope is that the extra dose of help in high school will keep students on track and give them more opportunities once they leave the district.
But Trustee Shelle Thomas said they also need a well-rounded education.
“I believe to produce proactive citizens, high school needs to offer applied arts and vocational arts to make a connection to life and to learning,” Thomas wrote by e-mail.
At issue now, is if taking a foreign language in high school should move from a choice to a mandate. As it stands, to be admitted to a CSU or UC school, freshmen must have completed two years of a foreign language, but MHUSD does not require it of every student in order to graduate; albeit students have the free will to choose to take courses that four-year colleges require. Board President Bart Fisher said there’s no move to change the requirements now, but the board will look at what other districts have done before making any decisions.
“We have to be able to help students who are struggling, that’s always something the district has been working at. We are coming down with very limited resources,” Trustee Kathy Sullivan said, noting the $2.9 million deficit the district is tackling this year.
The CSU system welcomed 181 students from Gavilan to its colleges in 2007-08, with the most, about 100 students, attending SJSU. A study done in 2007-08 reported that 73 percent of Gavilan students were enrolled in at least one remedial class.
“If it looks like they need remediation, then they are directed toward pre-collegiate courses,” Jan Bernstein-Chargin said, director of public relations at Gavilan. The classes are non-transferable, “but they give students the basic skills so they can pass college classes.” Gavilan also offers a summer bridge, basic skills network and first-year experience program to guide its students.
