Commentary; Posted: 9/6/06
As school begins, congratulations, challenges
Congratulations, caution and challenge. Thatís how Iím approaching the new school year.
Frankly, Forest Lake families cannot assume that their high school graduates are fully ready for college. Two recent national studies, plus a 2005 Minnesota study explain what I mean.
The first study shows that Minnesota high school students are number one in the country on the American College Test college entrance test. That merits congratulations to students, families and educators.
That same study reminds us of the challenge. While young Minnesotans did better than their peers around the country, well less than half of Minnesotaís students taking the test scored high enough for ACT to be fully prepared for college.
Another new national study shows the cost of not being well prepared. ìPaying Double: Inadequate High Schools and Community College Remediation,î by the Washington DC based Alliance for Excellent Education says the nation loses more than $3.7 billion a year because ìtoo many students are not learning the basic skills needed to succeed in college or work while they are in high school.î
A 2005 report shows that 42 percent of Forest Lakeís 2000-2003 graduates who entered a public college or university took a ìdevelopmentalî or ìremedialî course. Thatís over the statewide average of 36 percent. And 52 percent of the 2000-2003 Forest Lake graduates entered a Minnesota public college or university shortly after graduating, again, just over the statewide average of 49 percent.
Forest Lake did about as well, or better than many suburbs.
A few examples, with percentages of students who entered a Minnesota public college or university and took a developmental course: Anoka (40 percent), Blaine (41 percent), Bloomington Kennedy (44 percent), North St. Paul High School (48 percent), Rosemount (43 percent), Simley-Inver Grove Heights (41 percent), Tartan (41 percent), White Bear Lake (49 percent).
Some suburban high schools sent a somewhat higher, some similar or slightly lower percentage of students than Forest Lake to public universities.
Rural Minnesota has all 50 of the high schools with the lowest percentage of students entering Minnesota public colleges or universities, and taking remedial courses.
Some 61 percent of St. Clairís graduates go to public colleges and universities, and only 13 percent took remedial courses. Less than 20 percent of graduates in Caledonia, Clinton-Graceville, Foley and Hendersonís Minnesota New Country and Pipestone took remedial courses at public Minnesota universities.
Statewide:
ï36 percent that took at least one ìdevelopmentalî or remedialî course in reading, writing or math is up slightly from 1999 graduates. 33 percent of these students took a developmental course. Thatís a lot of graduates, not fully prepared in the ì3 Rís.î
ïStudents were least ready for college work in math. 28 percent of graduates took a remedial course in math, 14 percent in writing and only 9 percent in reading.
ïAlmost half: 46 percent of the students entering Minnesotaís two-year public community or technical colleges took at least one remedial course.
ïThe numbers were much less at four-year state universities (29 percent) and the University of Minnesota (8 percent).
For the full report, see:
www.mnscu.edu/media/publications/pdf/gettingprepared05.pdf
Youngsters need to be challenged, not only by educators but also by their families. Otherwise, families will end up paying twice for basic skills students should have learned before entering college.
Remedial courses are expensive for families and taxpayers. This spring MnSCU officials estimated the cost at about $10 million a year ó roughly half from families and students, and half from taxpayers. ó By Joe Nathan, a former public school teacher and administrator, directs the Center for School Change, Humphrey Institute, University of Minnesota jnathan@hhh.umn.edu.
Forest Lake Times
P.O. Box 218
880 SW 15 St.
Forest Lake, MN 55025
651-464-4601
Fax 651-464-4605