Evaluating Remedial / Developmental Education Essay

Higher education in America is facing many challenges, i.e., low retention, low graduation rates and less funding. Postsecondary institutions are scrambling to remain a competitive entity within society. In order to do so, students must remain in school (Talbert, 2012). The Office of the White House states (2014), educational attainment is critical to our county’s economic success. In essence, the work force is creating more jobs requiring more education and a higher level of skill than was previously achieved. Individuals with only a high school diploma will not make into the middle class sector because of

“I am just going to Joliet Junior College”, said about half of my classmates my senior year of high school. People everywhere make community college out to be something that is looked down upon and for people who were not as bright. In his essay “Blue Collar Brilliance”, Mike rose explains the reputation community colleges have acquired over the last few decades depicts two year schools as a place for people who could not make it into “real colleges”, also known as four year colleges (276). Although four year universities have reputations for quality education and excellent programs, students can get the same quality, if not better education at a two year college at a better convenience.

Perhaps some student aren’t ready to jump into four year college right after high school. Perhaps some students don’t have enough money or funding to afford four year colleges. For those who trying start taking classes, a community college, two years colleges or vocational school might a good place to get adjusted for college or for training to enter the workforce early. Liz Addison, supporter for two-year community colleges, considers community colleges the ideal place to begin and that it is not important to make the jump into a four-year university. In her essay, “Two Years Are Better than Four,” Addison portrays the theory of the community college. She assumes “The philosophy of the community college, and I have been to two of them, is one that conditionally allows its students to begin” (256). Her assumption are based on her idea “the community college system is America’s hidden public service gem” (257). A similar idea that Charles Murray believes in. He also believes community colleges the ideal place to begin for those who are training to enter the workforce early. He states “Try to force her (for example, by setting up a demanding core curriculum), and she will transfer to another school, because she is in college for vocational training. She wants to write computer code. Start a business. Get a job in television. She uses college to take vocational courses that pertain to her career interests.”().These to supporters of two years colleges and vocational training are encouraging students looking for place to start or those who are trying to get certain skills to join the

    In the article “Are Too Many People Going To College,” Charles Murray claims that a lot of colleges are filled with students that lack certain skills and qualities that are needed for the college level. Murray goes on to say that not all students learn at the same level, but he still believes there are ways for lower ability students to be successful in college it taught better throughout K-8 and high school. Charles Murray wants all students to learn the importance of all subjects taught at college. However, he believes these students should be taught more in high school in order to be more prepared for college. Murray certainly expresses how important K-8 and high school can be when stating, “More people should be getting the basics of a liberal education. But for most students, the places to provide those basics are elementary and middle school.” Murray argues that core knowledge is very important to reading and writing comprehension, stating that familiarity of these concepts is important when going to college. He believes K-8 is the perfect time to teach the core knowledge, which should raise the students effort right away in elementary school. Murray wants kids to be taught more throughout kindergarten and eighth grade, and believes students in high school should learn by surveys and classes that are just slightly below college level courses. Another interesting quote

     When a child doesn’t seem to be learning, some teachers and parents in his/her life might criticize the child and think of them as stupid, or maybe just too lazy to want to learn. What they don’t realize is that the child might have a learning disability. But how are these children being helped? There are many programs, special schools and facilities, home teaching methods and many other ways in which children with Learning Disabilities are being helped.

Jaschik explains in his article, “Academically Adrift” written in 2011, the decline of learning in college and the minimal amount of expectations placed on students. The article suggests that a survey was taken amongst college students that tested their accuracy on levels of analysis and critical thinking; the results were poor. The goal of college is to improve your academic skills on a higher level. The article hints that most students take courses that fulfill the academic requirements, but are not grasping the scholarly information being presented. Jaschik uses the art of persuasion, scholarly data, and assertive emotion to persuade his audience that college fails to fulfill its primary purpose as the title suggests.

Community colleges in the United States develop rapidly and have become a vital component of the postsecondary education delivery system. As of 2011-2012 school year, 45% of all undergraduate students were enrolled in public two-year colleges, approximately 8.3 million students (Knapp et al., 2012. Cited by AACC Fast Facts). And it seems that with globalization and Obama’s education agenda, the trend of growing enrollment in community colleges won’t change. A high school graduate who decides to pursue postsecondary education may face with a dilemma--whether enroll in a community college or a traditional four-year college. Even within a community college, a student may be faced with a choice—enroll in a vocational program and enter workforce after graduation with a vocational certification, or choose an academic program with an intention of transferring to four-year institutions.

As you can see, there are many different opinions about the worth of college and the changes that could be made. Those on all sides of this debate aim to meet the same objective: finding the most beneficial path for students after high school graduation. The opinions in this debate range from believing that college couldn’t be worth the cost, to believing that it is always essential to finding a job and that it is always worth the cost in the long run. Though many debates have been made about the worth of the current college experience and the changes that could be made, little has been said about the changes that could be made at in the high school classroom in an effort to

College today is not the college America previously knew, according to Rick Perlstein in Liz Addison’s “Two Years Are Better Than Four.” He believes that college is not as significant as it once was. Perlstein makes it sound like a showy reading list is all a student should need in order to be accepted into his or her school of choice. In the same essay, “Two Years Are Better Than Four,” the author, Liz Addison, states “[m]y guess, reading between the lines, is that Mr. Perlstein has never set foot in an American community college” (212). Addison considers the community college method “to be one of America’s uniquely great institutions” (214).

New studies show that our current remedial classes may be hurting students instead of helping them. Currently, students are spending their tuition and scholarship money on remedial classes instead of classes that would help them earn their degree (BigFuture, 2017). While the remedial classes are there to help students pass their credit-bearing classes, colleges might want to consider pairing them with the credit-bearing classes that they are supposed to be helping the students pass. Four years of data have shown that those who were placed in higher-level

In Alina Tugend’s article, “Revamping Community Colleges to Improve Graduation Rates,” several points are discussed regarding graduation rates and what community colleges can complete by reforming the structure of the schools. Many of the points discussed cover topics of problems with remedial classes, tuition costs, and inadequate student-to-advisor ratios among community colleges across the nation. I found that, with the progression of Tugend’s sentences, I agreed exponentially with everything she wrote. Reforming community colleges will improve graduation rates by allowing remedial classes to benefit students rather than hinder them, lowering the overall cost of college, and providing more advisors to help with students’ needs.

San Jose Mercury News Editorial, authors of “Remedial costs are too high for CSU to bear” highlight the San Jose State University policy that took place in 2009. The policy is about Freshmen students who are required to take remedial classes since their math or English basic college-level aren 't good enough.To notice these students that need help ahead of time CSU created the Early Assessment Program . Even though CSU created the voluntary Early Assessment Program, which has an essay and two dozen questions that are included in standardized tests given to juniors, many students didn 't pass it. Those students who don’t take the Early Assessment Program or aren 't qualified will have to take online tutorials and remedial classes which take a year to study. Sadly, there’ll be no repeat chances for those students who don 't pass their remedial courses. They may have to hire tutors or take courses off campus to gain the basic knowledge "they should have received in high school," as the authors said. The author assume that it 's both students and their high school 's responsibility for college readiness, and I strongly agree with the authors ' aurgement. College readiness shouldn 't be CSU. However, College readiness is high schools obligation , and students duty as well.

Students go to college in search of knowledge, a new lifestyle, and the hope of a job after graduation. For many young adults, college is a rite of passage into an independent, mature new lifestyle. Not only is higher education a rite of passage, for some, it is also an opportunity to have a better life. Overall, college is a wonderful part of many people’s lives, yet the way the college education system is conducted wastes students time and money. College is basically composed of two parts: general education classes and major specific classes. General education courses are the source of wasted time and money, and should not be required of students. A few of the problems associated with general education classes are that they are

This research study examines the effects of a developmental “boot-camp” on the standardized placement test scores of students enrolling in a community college. A developmental boot-camp is described as an online learning environment in which participants work at their own pace to refresh and enhance their skills in math, English, and writing in order to increase their placement scores and possibly place out of developmental community college classes. A community college in North Carolina implemented a developmental tutoring course in an attempt to raise placement test scores and place students into college-level courses (Hill, 2012, p. 2).

To being with, the quality of education being offered is a very important thing to consider. A common misconception is that community college is not as academically challenging as a university. Contrary to what most people think, there is actually no significant difference between the qualities of education at a community college versus a university. As a matter of fact, community colleges usually offer courses comparable in academic rigor and difficulty to those taught at four-year colleges and universities (collegeatlas.org). However, where there is a significant difference is in the quality of the professors and classroom instruction. At a community college, more emphasis is focused on classroom instruction, whereas at a university they focus more on research. Therefore, many in academy now believe that the quality of instruction at community