2008 Woodie Awards
Reading, writing, arithmetic, and remediation for incoming college students
MaryAnne Shults
Issue date: 11/25/08 Section: Life
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Some can read a paragraph but cannot understand the meaning of the words, while others can write an essay but do not comprehend the proper structure.
Then there are those who are proficient at college-level reading and writing, but cannot add square roots or solve a basic linear equation.
Experts call that a recipe for disaster.
"Students graduate from high school and think community college is just a continuation," said Cheryl Altman," a reading and ESL instructor at Saddleback College. "They are in for a rude awakening because demands of reading and writing in college are enormous and [a student] cannot get by without reading the textbook."
According to a report by the National Center for Education Statistics, on a national survey of public colleges, 28 percent of incoming two-year students and 18.6 percent of four-year students require at least one remedial course to improve skills lacking to succeed.
The majority of community colleges offer developmental classes to improve skills in English composition, reading comprehension, and pre-college algebra.
The students in these basic skills classes come from a broad spectrum, from recent high school graduates to retirees who are required to return to the work force for financial reasons.
Among others are veterans returning from active duty, those laid off from full-time jobs, or middle-aged women who stayed home to raise children. The majority of community college students, however, are right out of high school.
What students learn in high school and what they are expected to know in college do not always line up, experts say.
Nonetheless, about four-fifths of high school graduates want a college degree, according to statistics.
At Saddleback College, about 1,200 high school students participate in the matriculation department's Early Bird program, said counselor Darren England. This includes online orientation, assessment testing in math, English and reading, and a group advisement session to help students determine their educational goal and plan a first semester schedule.
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