Seven of every 10 students who enroll in the state's community colleges are diverted into non-credit remedial courses to prepare them for college-level courses.
Several members of the legislature's Higher Education Committee equate these remedial courses to the colleges' Bermuda Triangle: Only 13.6 percent of the full-time students who take them will earn an associate's degree in four years, twice the amount of time it should take, reports the Board of Regents.
"We are failing. What we are doing is not working," said Rep. Roberta Willis, D-Salisbury, co-chairwoman of the committee.
Her committee is looking to change the landscape by drastically changing the rules. A bill that appears to have the backing of many members of the committee would prevent the state's community colleges and Connecticut state universities from forcing students to take these non-credit remedial courses.
"Let's break down this brick wall," said Sen. Beth Bye, D-West Hartford, the Senate chairwoman of the committee. "Why not just let students who want to try, try?... It's a wild idea, I know, but let's let a college student take a college course."
A long line of college professors and officials were at the State Capitol complex Thursday to explain why the remedial courses should be required.
"We are concerned with this approach," said David Levinson, the president of Norwalk Community College, who was recently named the vice president for the dozen community colleges at the Board of Regents.
He pointed out that instructors will not be able to accommodate such a wide disparity of abilities.
"We must face the reality that we receive at our doorsteps each fall many students who are way more than a little behind, for whom extra support in the regular course would not work at all well," he said. Allowing students to opt out of remediation will produce "a kind of Darwinian result where they fail introductory classes in large numbers."
Committee members were told that most of the college freshmen who require remedial English are reading at an eighth-grade level.
"They need more support, and they can find that support in remedial courses," said Jason Jones, who teaches English at Central Connecticut State University and is president of the CCSU professors union. He said if a student's ego allows him to enroll in courses he was unprepared for, the tutors available on campus "would fall over from exhaustion."
Are the right students being sent to remediation?
When Jesse Parrot showed up to get a degree from Manchester Community College, he was told he must first take remedial math and English courses.
"I was furious," the straight-A college student told the committee. "It was very depressing. I knew I could do better."
A recent study by the Harvard Graduate School of Education shows that remedial education courses have little effect on a student's chances for graduation. In Ohio, those who took English remediation were 9 percent more likely to graduate.
Jesse Parrot, a student at Manchester: 'I knew I could do better.'
Bye said she's not convinced that's enough of a bump to be directing this many resources to these remedial courses. At Northwestern Community Colleges, half of the math courses offered this semester are for remediation.
Jon Bonds, another student from Manchester Community College who attended Thursday's public hearing, said he has witnessed friends being told they must take remedial courses.
"You show up for college, and they give you a pop quiz to determine whether you can get into college courses. It's really unfair," Bonds said.
MCC President Gena Glickman acknowledged that the test is essentially a pop quiz for many students, but, she noted, students can retake the test if they fail.
All the colleges offer a practice test on their websites for incoming students.
"Studying may be all they need to avoid having to enroll in these courses in the first place," said Levinson.
The committee is considering another bill that would require high schools to test their students in 10th grade on whether they would require remedial education in college.
"If you know where your students are falling behind, then you catch them up before they leave for college," Willis, the committee co-chairwoman, said.
But such a requirement comes at a cost. The Torrington school system spends $10 to test each student to make sure they have learned what they need to before they head off to college.
A money pit
The longer it takes for a student to graduate from college, the least likely it is they will finish, Bye said. "Time is the enemy. The longer it takes [to finish], the more life gets in the way," she said.
Parrot said his college education was stalled for a semester while he completed the remedial courses. "It was completely unnecessary. I could have squeaked by" without remediation, he said.
This delay is also strapping students with more student debt when they leave college.
A recent report by Complete College America highlights the grim rates of success with remediation courses across the country.
Nationally, 10 percent of full-time students who need remedial classes earn an associate's degree in three years, according to a national nonprofit organization funded by the Gates Foundation and others.
Members from both parties on Connecticut's Higher Education Committee are adamant that something will be done this legislative session to reset how the state handles remedial education, despite the objections from those in higher education.
Why ask the students even to register for a single college level course and waste taxpayer money on running these institutions with high cost buildings, class rooms, equipment, etc. plus hiring so many faculty members and administrators? The student loans have already reached the one trillion mark and the 99% (per centers) are already planning to demand the wiping of that debt burden from the laps of students. We could have saved all that money if only we had let a one-person-university, day in and day out, distribute, freely and free of cost, degree certificates at any level (Bachelor, Masters,
Read MoreSeems to me that, if a student has graduated from a public high school but is found to be in need of remedial courses in college, the town in which they were "educated" should have to pay for the remedial courses. By handing the student a high school diploma, that town has in effect stated that s/he has completed a course of study that makes him/her ready for college. If the public school system hasn't done its job, why make the student pay?
Mathlady: Our present preset policy does not allow the detention of a student in any lower grade for failing to acquire the necessary skills in english, mathematics, sciences etc. Why should we care about those silly things ? We want to make every one happy and let them move on with their lives in tandem with their ages. Ours is not just the equal opportunity society, but it is more - it is an egalitarian society. So, we have to graduate every student from high school before they reach the age of 19. Our policy is to pass on
Read MoreThe system renders Community Colleges to be glorified high schools. At some Community Colleges, students are only given one try at the "pop quiz" that they had no idea they were going to get. Particularly in math, where they are not fresh from the curriculum, students place into remedial courses. Psychologically, they become demoralized on day one. Also, there is no cross-community college uniformity to the interpretation of the pop quiz called the Accuplacer. At one community college the score is remedial, at another, it is not. Net, remedial courses are a big money maker for community colleges
Read MoreHere is a novel idea. Let's actually hold the students accountable for their education from Kindergarten on up. No more social promotion, no more parents negotiating better grade for their children. Award the grade that was earned and let the students response dictate their future success.
Try getting a GPA that will get you a job when you start your first semester with F's in English 101 and Math 101. The fact that we pay for our college education we should thank the college or university for finally letting us know where we are deficient. College is preparation for
Read More"Seems to me that, if a student has graduated from a public high school but is found to be in need of remedial courses in college, the town in which they were "educated" should have to pay for the remedial courses. By handing the student a high school diploma, that town has in effect stated that s/he has completed a course of study that makes him/her ready for college. If the public school system hasn't done its job, why make the student pay?"
I don't disagree.
However, the process has to stop prior to any student being accepted into any
Read MoreEvery Community College schedules these placement tests. The idea that a student shows up to register and is given a pop quiz is absurd. Becuase Community Colleges offer career transition later in life, some students have not been in a classroom in 20-40 years! They may need these remedial courses to gain the confidence and skills needed to complete their education.
As a former student and former employee of a CT Community College, I can tell you that many students take a placement test in May and test into developmental courses. These students then go on to graduate
The public is under misinformation that a person graduating from college is qualified to do college level work.
They've only met the graduation requirements of the state and it's high schools (4 years of english, etc) which is below college. Since we have a Board of Regents, every high school graduating student should take a Regents test that along with the diploma is a pass into the state community college's and university system that meets certain guidelines. if they don't pass they have the final year of high school to meet the standards.
Saying "I could get by" if let
Read MoreMany high school students don't apply themselves in middle school and high school and thus are not ready for college-level work. They are more interested in sports and extra-curricular activities. If a student fails the college entrance exam, it's up to the student to get private tutoring, especially in writing skills, to become ready for college-level work.
It would be a waste of taxpayer money to require the K-12 districts to tutor graduated students. If district standards are too low, then they must be raised to the level preparatory for college-level work. It is a waste of taxpayer
Read MoreUsing the same testing colleges use for admission as a High School graduation standard would be tantamount to admitting the mass failure of CT public high school education.
The representatives will do anything to hide that fact.
New York used the Regents Test for years. Quick easy admission to state colleges was a Regents Degree.
Having taught in a post-secondary school the placement exam is a good thing. Issuing financial aids checks to everyone who walks in the door was a problem for years with Joe’s Hairdresser School. Beth Bye is looking for a return to the days when Guido
Read MoreVery hard to understand why a high school graduate who has been accepted into a college or university with the required SAT scores and a high school diploma is required to take remedial courses. Why did the college accept them if they now need remedial education?! Makes no sense.
Community colleges are "open-admission" institutions that accept students with a GED or High School diploma. That some of these students may not be ready for college level study is an unfortunate reality for our community colleges and state universities.
Proposing a law mandating that anyone may enroll in a college course without regard to readiness of a student is questionable. More important, it may give false hope to students pursuing post-secondary school. The legislator who proposed it has a lot of explaining to do.
There you go mathlady, if the High School Graduates a student that can't get through Business Math 101, the graduating town should pay for the non-credit course. Too bad such a simple and logical solution won’t ever fly in a Connecticut Legislature populated by so many former “Remedial Course Students”.
Most remediation is Math and English. By fourth grade we know where the skills lie, who has aptitude, who works hard etc. Kids know what they like to study. High schools should offer a variety of outlets, skills training. We have pushed the college button too long and left behind those students who would prefer a trade or some other skill outlet- arts, music etc.
With the advent of couch potato lifestyle, a techie gadget attached to the hand at all times, a computer that corrects your spelling and grammer, a decade of overindulgence by everyone, it is no wonder
The conclusion that the developmental (remedial) courses are some how the cause of the problem is absurd. There is an underlying factor that results in placement into these courses and results in the abysmal graduation results - the poor preparation and approach of the students.
MCC conducted a survey (link below) of the students and asked them why students struggle. The students themselves cited "lack of motivation" and "don't know how to study effectively" as the top two reasons.
The colleges are very clear upfront about the need to take the placement tests. MCC lists 6 steps for applying
Read MoreThere's so much inequality in our society, and CT is at the top in many, many measures. There's so many places in which more socioeconomically able persons would never deign to step foot. How can we expect to yield educated persons or even persons with the expectation that they can do or be what they want when they can't even fill their bellies (let alone their heads) or live without the fear of dying while on the way to school?
That being said, remedial courses are a necessary stepping-stone by which students can access more difficult courses and content.
I have taught at a university and a state college and have tutored at a community college in Connecticut. I think David Levinson has hit the nail on the head. But there is a way to simplify the process of determining college readiness. An admissions test. If a student fails the admissions test, which would evaluate the student's reading and math abilities, the student would not be admitted to a community college or any other state college. The student could then enroll adult education classes (they could be on-line) to upgrade their skills. Most of the students unprepared for college
Read MoreI was wondering how long it would take a Teabagger to blame Obama for this one. Thanks for not disappointing.
If the student needs further math or English before he/she is ready for a regular college class, it should be provided but the high school source should be informed so that the necessary corrections may be made at the secondary level to reduce the number needing the extra help. It is my understanding that that information was not available to local Boards of Education until recently. In fact, the local school district has added some additional reading and math assistance programs to help lagging students keep up. Don't just let the student try the regular college COI
Read MoreI would say, with apologies to Sam Clemens, that more than 55% of students of any incoming class in a 2-year or a 4-year college are not ready for college level education. That is the reason why students are taking six to seven years to graduate from a 4-year college. Even after this long waiting period there are deep flaws in knowledge and skills; and the quality of finished product would be unacceptable at international levels.
At the school level learning is somewhat slow paced, and the transition from a school program to a fast paced 4-year college is
Read MoreNot all community college students attend directly from their local high school right after graduation. FYI-many are returning moms and dads who haven't been in a classroom for a considerable amount of time! Their skills are weak, need more than refreshing, and developmental classes offer them an opportunity to test the waters once again. Some have moved from a different state, country, or town, and asking a former town to pay, will not work. Developmental classes do more than just build academic skills-they build confidence and validify at a lower cost to students, the opportunity for
Read MoreCheers to downsizing...time for lawmakers to visit a developmental class and see what goes on...talk with the students who are enrolled in them also-especially at the end of the semester! I dare them!
auntreen, excellent point about the nontraditional students drawn to CC. Take that a step further, many students take courses without a goal of pursuing a terminal degree, e.g. certificate programs.
kook, you share a narrow view of what colleges have to offer. MCC offers associates degrees that are much more vocational in nature than the stereotypical college path you articulate. Sorry, but your effort to diminish certain subpopulations falls short again.
Bill, I agree about making a connection between hs and college. MCC is working with East Hartford and Manchester in aligning expectations. A big reason CREC lost the Great
Read MoreThis is the first step in closing the open admission community colleges--at the same time we tout that education is the ticket upward and we have two CTs. Let people who haven't taken math for 20 years try a 100 level algebra course and fail and quit trying. Let a barely high school graduate try a 100 level English course and fail and quit. Both were on financial aid so will have a pay back to make and if not, it becomes a huge problem for the college and future students. Then look at the results and decide that lots
Read MoreWe have a policy in this country that every person should be a winner and no one should lose. So, let a student just enter his/her name and register for a course, any course, in any state college, and I am sure the student will be declared a winner (with a B or even with an A grade).
If the student does not get a good grade, it is not the fault of the student, but the fault is of the idiotic teacher, who can not and who does not know how to teach and then one and
Read MoreWhat some people have referred to as a "pop quiz" is, in fact,an exam--called the ACCUPLACER--that assesses the performance of students in mathematics, reading, and writing in order to determine college placement. It was developed by the College Board (the same folks who oversee the Scholastic Aptitude Test and Advanced Placement exams). These people do not take their efforts lightly, as any student who has ever endured the SAT and AP exams can attest.
To dismiss the results of the ACCUPLACER as casual or ill-considered is simply wrong. It is as wrong as assuming that someone who tests into foundational
I totally agree with you. Students need to be held accountable for the grades they EARN and not expect (or believe they are entitled to) more "help or coddling" when they made the choice to not invest themselves the first time around when they were being taught in grades k-12. I see this everyday.
"He brings experience. He's been elected."
Mike Clark on endorsing State Sen. Andrew Roraback for the Republican nomination for the 5th Congressional District race.
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