Colleagues:
 
The following article, from Public Education Network's Weekly Newsblast
should be of interest to you in regards to our discussion on GED and
preparedness for higher education.
 
Marie Cora
 
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PAYING DOUBLE
According to "Paying Double: Inadequate High Schools and Community
College Remediation," a new issue brief from the Alliance for Excellent
Education, the United States spends over $1.4 billion each year to
provide community college remediation education for recent high school
graduates who did not acquire the basic skills necessary to succeed in
college or at work. The brief, which was produced with support from
MetLife Foundation, also finds that the nation loses almost $2.3 billion
annually in wages as a result of the significantly reduced earnings
potential of students whose need for remedial reading make them more
likely to drop out of college without a degree. Therefore, by increasing
the number of students graduating from high school prepared to succeed
in college, an additional $3.7 billion annually would flow into the
nation's economy. The brief offers no simple solutions but does point
out that improving the nation's high schools could certainly reduce the
number of students who need remediation in college. It points to "weak
curricula, vague standards, and lack of alignment between high school
content and the expectations of colleges and employers" as reasons for
the need for remediation. It adds that students who take a rigorous high
school curriculum are less likely to need remedial courses than students
whose course load is less demanding. Finally, it suggests that statewide
performance standards for college admission would enable educators to
assess student progress toward readiness for college. To view the
complete issue brief, which includes a breakdown of state-by-state
costs, visit: 
http://www.all4ed.org/publications/remediation.pdf
 
 
 
 
Marie Cora
NIFL Assessment Discussion List Moderator
marie.cora at hotspurpartners.com
Coordinator, LINCS Assessment Special Collection
http://literacy.kent.edu/Midwest/assessment/
 
 
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