2008.09.16
Schools need to prepare students
In June, thousands of Roanoke-area high school seniors adorned themselves in colorful caps and gowns and reveled in the pageantry of pomp and circumstance.
At commencements or other ceremonies for graduates, school administrators and principals saluted their students and waved many of them off to colleges and universities across the country.
But as some of those high school students settle into college life, a disappointing reality will wash over them. They'll realize they may not be as ready for college as they thought.
According to a national study released Monday called "Diploma to Nowhere," one-third of U.S. college students have to enroll in remedial classes to get up to speed on subjects they should have learned in high school.
Bringing the students up to snuff costs colleges and taxpayers between $2.3 billion and $2.9 billion a year, the study found.
The report, issued by the group Strong American Schools, analyzed federal data. What it showed is that 43 percent of community college students require remedial work, as do 29 percent of students enrolled at four-year public universities.
Education officials have a responsibility to ensure that teens going on to college have met the academic requirements that will provide them a successful transition into the rigors of higher learning.
In Virginia, the Governor's P-16 Education Council last year discussed aligning high school graduation and college entrance requirements at Virginia colleges.
The state has at least four different graduation diplomas, said attorney Angela Ciolfi, who works with children's issues for the Legal Aid Justice Center in Charlottesville.
But of the 78,500 Virginia students who graduated in 2007, 43 percent earned a standard diploma, and 51 percent received an advanced studies diploma, said the attorney, who follows state education issues.
According to the minutes of a council meeting last year, state officials have discussed reconciling the high school and college requirements merits.
It needs more than discussion; it demands action.
An analysis conducted for the P-16 panel indicated that a Virginia high school student can graduate with a standard diploma without taking the courses recommended for admission to 15 of 16 public colleges and 18 to 20 of 22 private institutions. The main reason, according to the minutes, was that Virginia students can earn a standard diploma without taking a foreign language. Yet most Virginia colleges require or recommend two or more years of a foreign language.
Virginia has an obligation to its high school seniors to make a seamless transition from high school to college. The best way to do that is to make sure students are ready when they get there.
Even graduates with "advanced studies diplomas" often find college much more rigorous and challenging than they expected. I raised two sons, both graduated from a Roanoke public high school and a Virginia State University, and I can't imagine how having less than an advanced placement diploma could begin to prepare any student for college.
Students need to know they must prepare themselves by taking as many advanced placement courses as they can in high school, and a minimum of 4 years of a foreign language. (It is a shame foreign language instruction doesn't begin much earlier in our public schools.)
Although my sons were less than thrilled about it, I stressed to them that summer school is an advantage rather than a punishment. It is one of the best ways to gain strength in a weak subject or get ahead in a new one. Thus, both sons attended summer school sessions during high school and college, while also working part-time and enjoying a social life and team sports.
I knew I would only get one chance to help prepare my sons for college, and there was one thing I learned that was of utmost importance: It takes ongoing parental involvement by getting to know teachers and guidance counselors, to ensure your child gets into the AP courses that he or she needs to be fully prepared for college. I also discovered that developing these relationships helped get the necessary letters of recommendation for college admittance. It really does make a difference. I witnessed many students fall through the cracks because their parents were not involved (or not involved enough) in the education process. Whether you are a parent or a mentor advising a high school student, there is no greater investment of your time.
Comment by Ms. Goldenwillow — September 17, 2008 @ 6:35 pm
Good for you, Mrs. G! I am the parent of an ADHD child. Growing up, she had absolutely NO interest in her studies and spent most of her time talking to boys on the phone or trying to find ways to 'sneak' out of the house at night. Nevertheless, at exam time I nearly always took the week off from work (I travel constantly and couldn't be there for her all the time) and we would start at the beginning of the semester's work and try to learn it all in the week before the exams. It was one of the most exhausting experiences of my life, but one that I felt she would appreciate down the road. She still brought home that C+ or B, but she knew the stuff and that's what counted. In college, she started off in quite the same way, saying "grades aren't important". Then a skirmish with the police turned things around for her. The judge gave her a little break as did the police officer, and, that seemed to endear her to the system of justice. She decided she wanted to be involved with the law as a paralegal and asked me to spring for an expensive program in Atlanta. I flatly refused. Instead I asked why she wanted to study to become qualified to do legal work and then let the lawyers take home all the bacon. Why not try for law school was my question. She applied, took the boards and got a scholarship, and is now about to graduate magna cum loud or whatever they call it. I'm so proud of her that I'm holding back the tears writing this.
Comment by Mike — September 23, 2008 @ 1:29 am