txgirl
12-10-2007, 12:40 PM
AUSTIN — For the first time, Texas is making elaborate plans to
reduce the embarrassingly high number of freshmen who arrive at the
state's colleges and universities needing remedial work.
A 104-page proposal, which is scheduled to come before the Texas
Higher Education Coordinating Board next month, outlines what students
should learn before enrolling at one of the state's public
universities. Those who do not meet the standards will be directed to
community colleges, where they can get extra help at a lower cost to
themselves and the state.
As it stands, more than half the entering freshmen at Texas colleges
and universities need remedial classes, which don't count toward a
degree. Educators are optimistic the collaborative effort ultimately
will ensure more students earn bachelor's degrees, and in less time.
The dismaying lack of preparation prompted the state Legislature to
order the new standards during a special session in 2006. Since then,
teams of high school teachers, university professors and education
experts have worked to draft the sweeping proposal, which defines
necessary skills to do college-level work in English, math, science
and
the social sciences.
Still, the plan has exposed fissures over how much high school
graduates should be expected to know, based on comments submitted to
the coordinating board.
One high school teacher said the
proposed standards are so high that graduates should get a Ph.D. with
their diplomas. A university professor said, however, that students
should master the proposed set of skills by the eighth grade.
Some educators explained the divide as one of expectations. For
years, the nation's high schools pushed most students toward
graduation, not college. Though state law requires students to take
certain classes to graduate, the requirements don't necessarily
prepare
them for higher education.
"Being college-eligible doesn't mean you're college-ready," said
Paula Roe, scholarship programs coordinator for Project GRAD, a
nonprofit school reform group that works with about 5,000 Houston
students.
In anticipation of the new standards, Texas Southern University is
taking steps to increase the number of students transferring from
community colleges. TSU has a long-standing commitment to accept
anyone
who wants to pursue higher education, but roughly 70 percent of
first-time freshmen arrive without the skills needed to do
college-level work. More than half do not make it to their sophomore
year.
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/5364614.html
reduce the embarrassingly high number of freshmen who arrive at the
state's colleges and universities needing remedial work.
A 104-page proposal, which is scheduled to come before the Texas
Higher Education Coordinating Board next month, outlines what students
should learn before enrolling at one of the state's public
universities. Those who do not meet the standards will be directed to
community colleges, where they can get extra help at a lower cost to
themselves and the state.
As it stands, more than half the entering freshmen at Texas colleges
and universities need remedial classes, which don't count toward a
degree. Educators are optimistic the collaborative effort ultimately
will ensure more students earn bachelor's degrees, and in less time.
The dismaying lack of preparation prompted the state Legislature to
order the new standards during a special session in 2006. Since then,
teams of high school teachers, university professors and education
experts have worked to draft the sweeping proposal, which defines
necessary skills to do college-level work in English, math, science
and
the social sciences.
Still, the plan has exposed fissures over how much high school
graduates should be expected to know, based on comments submitted to
the coordinating board.
One high school teacher said the
proposed standards are so high that graduates should get a Ph.D. with
their diplomas. A university professor said, however, that students
should master the proposed set of skills by the eighth grade.
Some educators explained the divide as one of expectations. For
years, the nation's high schools pushed most students toward
graduation, not college. Though state law requires students to take
certain classes to graduate, the requirements don't necessarily
prepare
them for higher education.
"Being college-eligible doesn't mean you're college-ready," said
Paula Roe, scholarship programs coordinator for Project GRAD, a
nonprofit school reform group that works with about 5,000 Houston
students.
In anticipation of the new standards, Texas Southern University is
taking steps to increase the number of students transferring from
community colleges. TSU has a long-standing commitment to accept
anyone
who wants to pursue higher education, but roughly 70 percent of
first-time freshmen arrive without the skills needed to do
college-level work. More than half do not make it to their sophomore
year.
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/5364614.html