AUSTIN
Texas high school graduates enter college far less ready for the harder course load than other students, according to new research that shows nearly half of the state’s college freshmen take remedial classes.
The number is well above the 28 percent of freshmen elsewhere in the U.S. who are enrolled in remedial or development courses, according to data unveiled Monday by a state panel appointed by Gov. Rick Perry.
The Commission for a College Ready Texas went on to say that state curriculum standards are too flimsy and that a passing score on the state’s high school graduation test doesn’t prove a student is ready for college.
“We have a big hill to climb in Texas,” said Sandy Kress, chairman of the commission and former education adviser to President Bush.
Among the recommendations the panel plans making to state education leaders are new, college-oriented curriculum standards for English, math, science and social studies courses taught in public schools.
The study noted that only 18 percent of Texas students who took the ACT college entrance exam met college readiness benchmarks in those areas. The percentages were even smaller for black and Hispanic students.
The panel also found that 61 percent of students are not academically prepared to succeed in post-secondary education.
Recommendations by the panel will be made to the State Board of Education and the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board.
Information from: The Dallas Morning News, http://www.dallasnews.com
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