Remedial Education

One way to measure the effectiveness of public high school education is looking at the statistics of students enrolled in remedial classes and graduation rates. Remedial courses are classes that are below college-level work, but taken by college students. Students who fail to pass placement exams or do poorly on college admission exams, such as the SAT or ACT, are mandated to take remedial courses before starting their undergraduate studies. These courses are designed to help the students catch up on material necessary for college- level work.  The National Conference of State Legislatures found that the range of students enrolled in at least one remedial class is between 28 percent and 40 percent, and in community colleges specifically, the rate exceeds 50 percent of students. Also, when looking at the ACT exam in 2012, only 25 percent met the readiness standard, 5 percent of African Americans and 13 percent of Hispanics, met that standard. (“Hot”) These statistics show that our high students may be graduating with a diploma, but are still not competent for college level work. Sadly, some of the most common remedial classes are in reading and math, which can quickly lead to academic failure. “A U.S. Department of Ed­ucation study found that 58 percent of students who do not require remediation earn a bachelor’s degree, compared to only 17 percent of students enrolled in remedial reading and 27 percent of students enrolled in remedial math.” (“Hot”) Therefore, it is necessary for public school education to improve. 

Works Cited

“Hot Topics in Higher Education Reforming Remedial Education.” National Conference of State    Legislatures, National Conference of State Legislatures. ND.      www.ncsl.org/research/education/improving-college-completion-reforming-remedial.aspx. 6               Dec. 2017.