Re: [MATHEDCC] The demise of developmantal courses

Sandy Spears (sspears@pop.jcc.uky.edu)
Thu, 15 Jan 1998 16:30:18 -0500

I have tojump and remind everyone that a high school diploma has never
meant a student is ready for college. There are many students who should
graduate from high school and should not attend college. That's not to say
that standards in high schools ought not to be toughened - they should.
However, to implement what you're suggesting, there would have to be more
than one diploma with one saying the student is "college ready". Ky is
talking about doing this but I don't know if they will seriously make it
happen. We also need to remember that successful completion of one course
does not always guarantee successful completion of the next course on the
first try even with good study habits, etc. There are many, many other
factors going on here. I have heard that Fl is going to require students
who repeat a developmental course to pay a higher tuition that would
represent the "true instructional cost of the course". That seems like a
reasonable idea to help stem this tide.

The other thing about high schools that we forget is the economic
implications of making the standards so high that a large number of
students drop out. This is a major issue in some communities. Again, I
don't say this to support lowering standards or keeping them low but only
to point out the many complications that are involved.

>In a message dated 98-01-15 13:06:46 EST, bret@IAG.NET writes:
>
><< How about this:
>
> Premise - Students who graduate from high school should not have to take
> developmental courses. They should be prepared for freshman college work.
> (Especially the level of freshman work offered at open door community
> colleges. I'm not talking about Calculus; I'm talking about College Algebra.)
>
> Premise - Schools who certify a student as being ready for freshman college
> courses should be held accountable, as much as is possible.
>
> Action: Developmental courses should be taught and all students who take
> them should pay out-of-state tuition. Any student who graduated from a
> public high school in the state that he or she is attending college will
> have all developmental course tuition paid for by the school system who
> granted the diploma. Students who graduated out-of-state, in-state at a
> private high school, or through home schooling would have to pay the tuition
> themselves. No financial aid may be used to pay for developmental
>coursework.
> >>
>
>Whoo!! Yeah!!! Bravo!!!!!!! Whoooya!!!! 8-)
>
>It is completely true now that a high school diploma doesn't mean much. I
>know some high school teachers who say they are not allowed to fail a student
>(ie and hold them back).
>
>AND,for the majority of progress reports that I have to fill out for financial
>aid students, I have to write that the students is getting a D or worse and
>needs tutoring (that the school will pay for too)!
>
>Karen
>Orange Coast College
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Sandy Spears
Jefferson Community College
Louisville, KY 40202
sspears@pop.jcc.uky.edu
502-584-0181, ext. 2269

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