66%

38%43%

70%

53%

73%79%

87%

69%

WHAT ARE REMEDIAL COURSES?

Remedial courses are classes for students who are not ready to take college-level courses. Remedial courses do not provide credits toward a degree, but students still must pay tuition (or use financial aid) for them.

And what’s more: Nationally, less than 50 percent of students in remedial courses actually complete them, and only 17 percent of remedial reading students and 27 percent of remedial math students complete a bachelor’s degree.

Delaware students are going to college—but are they READY?

Remediation rates of Delaware public high school graduates in Delaware colleges, by subgroup, Class of 2012

All students Low income Special education

English language

learner

African American

Hispanic/Latino

White Asian Multi-race/other

Where Delaware public high school graduates enrolled in college, Class of 2012

College Enrollment: The First StepIncreasing college completion begins with increasing college enrollment—and Delaware is making strides on that front: In 2012, 55 percent of Delaware public high school graduates enrolled in college immediately after graduation (see chart at right).* And thanks to initiatives like Getting to Zero, which provides college-ready high schoolers with guidance

and supports to pursue higher education, this percentage is sure to increase in the coming years.

Still, Delaware’s college enrollment rate lags behind the national average of 66 percent, and the state faces an even larger problem: a lack of college readiness among those who enter college.

Remediation: The Crack in the PipelineUnfortunately, not all Delaware students who enroll in college are prepared to take college-level courses. In fact, only half of the Delaware students who entered in-state colleges in 2012 met the College Board’s college-readiness benchmark by scoring 1550 or higher on the SAT.

As a result, many first-year college students need remediation—which is a major obstacle to college completion (see sidebar at right). In 2012, more than half of the Delaware public school graduates who enrolled in in-state colleges were placed in remedial courses.

Remediation also is an issue of equity. Remediation rates are highest among students who are African American, Hispanic/Latino, and from high-needs subgroups, including those who are English language learners, are from low income backgrounds, or have special educational needs (see chart below). These high remediation rates translate into low college completion rates—which ultimately limit these students’ potential to succeed and contribute to Delaware’s economy in the future.

SEPTEMBER 2014

* This percentage includes graduates from traditional public, public charter, and vocational-technical schools. Data shown do not include students who enrolled in Goldey-Beacom College or Delaware College of Art and Design. The National Student Clearinghouse estimated that 59% of all Delaware public high school graduates from the Class of 2012 enrolled in college.

20%14%

12%1%

2%

4%

Percentage of students requiring

remediationn Delaware State University 81%

n Delaware Technical Community College 71%

n University of Delaware 18%

n Wesley College 27%

n Wilmington University 70%

n Out-of-state colleges N/A

Did not enroll in college 46%

Delaware’s Class of 2012: College Enrollment, Remediation, and Performance

Number of public high school graduates

Percentage of high school graduates who enrolled in Delaware

colleges

Percentage of Delaware college enrollees who required remediation

Average freshman year

GPA1

Average freshman year credit hours

earned2

STATE TOTAL 8,596 39% 53% 2.24 15.3

Colle

ge re

adin

ess i

ndic

ator

s Scored 1550 or above on SAT3 1,744 48% 11% 2.88 28.9

Scored below 1550 on or did not take SAT 6,852 35% 68% 1.83 8.8

Took an AP exam 2,301 50% 31% 2.61 24.3

Did not take an AP exam 6,295 33% 65% 1.98 9.7

Dem

ogra

phic

s

Low income 3,654 29% 69% 1.89 10.2

Special education 1,039 19% 87% 1.66 3.9

English language learner 242 36% 79% 1.47 8.1

African American 2,714 30% 73% 2.01 10.9

Hispanic/Latino 723 34% 70% 1.83 10.9

White 4,719 41% 43% 2.36 17.0

Asian 347 51% 38% 2.59 24.2

Multi-race/other 93 31% 66% 1.92 11.31 GPA is reported on a 4.0 scale.2 Anaverageof30credithoursperyearisrecommendedtofinishabachelor’sdegreeinfouryears.3 The College Board has set an SAT score of 1550 (out of a possible score of 2400) as the benchmark for college readiness.

Learn more and get involved at delawaregoestocollege.org.

Next Steps: Repairing the PipelineAs Delaware works to help more of its students enroll in college, we have the opportunity—and the obligation—to help these students earn degrees and enter the workforce. To do this, policymakers, communities, K–12 schools, and higher education institutions need to join forces to reduce remediation. Some promising efforts to boost college readiness, credit-earning, and completion include the following:

0 Foundations of College Math: Based on a model that has been successful in other states, this course was jointly developed by K–12 and college educators to prepare 12th grade students to take college-level math courses. After its pilot phase in 2014–15,

the program will expand into English language arts/reading in the coming years.

0 Increasing access to and success in college-level courses in high school: More than 85 percent of Delaware graduates who scored a 3 or higher on an AP exam were able to enroll in college-level courses when they entered Delaware colleges in 2012. Only 31 percent of students who did not take an AP exam were able to do so. Increasing access to AP courses—as well as International Baccalaureate and dual-enrollment courses—in Delaware high schools will help more students avoid remediation.

0 Common Core State Standards: The Common Core State Standards promote college readiness by establishing the skills that every student should have by the time they graduate from high school. High-quality implementation of the Common Core in K–12 schools will support Delaware students’ abilities to enter college, complete degrees, and succeed in careers.

Delaware colleges also can learn from other initiatives to curb remediation rates around the country, such as using score ranges rather than a single cut score to place students in courses and aligning math courses with students’ majors.