HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION ≠

COLLEGE READINESS

Deborah DavisAdjunct Faculty

Shawnee State University

RESEARCH TOPIC

Shawnee State University Freshman from the local area would be more successful if remedial courses are part of their High School Curriculum.

I see freshmen at Shawnee in English Composition who need far more remediation than seems reasonable.

Compass scores preclude many from entering Freshmen Courses.

Remedial classes are not funded for the students at the college level.

Therefore, remediation, if required, should be available at the high school level.

INTRODUCTION

Students graduating from Scioto & adjacent County who complete COMPASS tests indicate a frequent need for remediation.

College Readiness (too broad) Scioto County Students (what of

them) Students in Scioto County are not

successful as college freshman (impracticable & why)

University funding is in short supply for remedial coursework

Why is remedial coursework required? Scioto County Students are not ready

for college (closer, but still too broad). Students who need remediation

should take it while in high school!

LITERATURE REVIEW - 1

Three Articles from Educational Journals are reviewed for College Readiness issues.

Cline, Z, Bissell, J, Hafner, A, & Katz, M. (2007). Closing the college readiness gap. Leadership, 37(2), 30-33.

Conley, DT. (2008). Rethinking college readiness. New Directions for Higher Education, 144(WI), 3-13.

Katsinas, SG., & Bush, VB. (2006). Assessing what matters: improving college readiness 50 years beyond Brown. Community College Journal of Research and Practice, 30, 771-786.

LITERATURE REVIEW - 2

What

Is

Readiness?

Cline – “preparing students to succeed in college-level work rather

than on fulfilling basic eligibility requirements that are primarily course- and grade-based” (p. 30).

“50 percent of entering freshmen system wide [who] need remediation in English or mathematics.” That 50 percent is out of the 33 percent of high school seniors “should be eligible to enter the California State University system” (p. 30).

Conley – “the degree to which previous educational and personal

experiences have equipped them for the expectations and demands they will encounter in college (p. 7)

“four facets: key cognitive strategies, key content knowledge, academic behaviors, and contextual skills and knowledge” (p. 3).

Katsinas & Bush “a seamless system that improves articulation and degree

completion, and that promotes a positive trajectory from our nation’s secondary schools into higher education” (p. 772).

LITERATURE REVIEW - 3

Why

Is There

A Gap?

Cline – “Statistics show that the dropout rate at the

university level is significantly higher among those who arrive at college academically under prepared” (p. 30).

students “often struggle in their first year as they attempt to meet strict college readiness requirements, often requiring a year or more of remediation” (p. 31)

Conley – “In short, the differences in expectations between

high school and college are manifold and significant” (p. 6).

Katsinas & Bush A lack of college level course work leads to the

natural consequence of an unprepared graduate (p. 777).

LITERATURE REVIEW - 4

What

Can Be

Done?

Cline – This broad program encompasses curriculum options, professional

development for educators, and assessment methods (p. 31). “Students are encouraged to think rhetorically,” and they develop an ability to respond appropriately (p. 31). Assessments improved markedly under the new curriculum as administered by the newly trained educators. Students were better prepared for college, and more successful, requiring little to no remediation (p. 32).

Conley – Students need to be challenged throughout their academic careers. Key

cognitive strategies, academic knowledge, academic behaviors, and information and its access, are critical elements to success (p. 7-10). “College knowledge is distributed inequitably in society” (p. 10).

Students who want to be college ready need to be set a standard of readiness, not just eligibility.

Katsinas & Bush “About 2/3 of high school graduates go on to college” (p. 780). . . . “the

assessment mechanism drives system performance” (p. 781). The intense problem, also presented, is “the internal pressure” and focus on “micro-outcomes such as standardized, in-classroom test scores” (p. 781).

Recommends an emphasis on “larger macro level indicators associated with . . . Positive outcomes of high school” (p. 781).

RESEARCH QUESTION

Would high school graduates in Scioto and adjacent counties be more successful in college and in life if remedial classes were offered at their high schools?

Shawnee State Incoming

Freshmen from Scioto County

schools are more likely to have a

successful Freshman year if

they any remedial coursework (as

indicated by COMPASS or other

tests) while in high school.RESEARCH HYPOTHESIS

IMPACT OF STUDY ON MY PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE

What is the Impact?

Impact to the high schools? It is my fervent hope that the study will aid

local high schools in encouraging their for their students to test early and take remedial coursework while at the high school level.

Impact to the University? I would love to see this University supporting

and encouraging this outreach of preparedness to local schools.

Impact to me? It is my desire to have students leave high

school in a better state of readiness for college coursework. In doing so, my students, freshman at SSU, will be better prepared to succeed in my class and others!

RESEARCH TYPE

What Type of Research?

Quantitative I intend to compare statistics of

juniors and seniors from area high schools who have taken the COMPASS placement exam and determine the placement standards that apply.

Qualitative I intend to extensively interview a few

students who were and were not successful at college regarding their preparatory experience and impact particularly as regards placement testing and those courses for which placement testing applied.

PROCEDURE

What Methodof Data Collection?

Surveys I will include my existing survey information

from educators as precatory information I will survey high school guidance counselors in

the area for perspectives on placement tests I will survey SSU counselors for perspectives on

placement tests I will survey and interview students for their

input Statistics

I hope to garner data from local high schools regarding the scores of placement tests and related that information to numbers of students placed and outcome/disposition of those students.

I hope to garner data from SSU regarding successful completion of freshman coursework and numbers of remediation attempts.

PERMISSIONS

What Permissionsare NeededFor thisStudy?

??????????? I do not know _______________________________ _______________________________

??????????? ______________________________ ______________________________

It is my hope that by using anonymous data for much of my study, permissions will be minimized. For the interview/analysis, I know something is required.

TIMELINE

What ScheduleisIntendedFor thisStudy?

Literature Gather resources for 10 articles and review by 20

July 2010 Surveys

Publish before 1 September 2010 Gather data by 1 October 2010 Analyze data by 1 November 2010

Interviews Identify subjects by 1 September 2010 Baseline Interviews by 1 October 2010 General write-up of interviews by 1 November 2010

Compilation Data assembly by 1 December 2010 Compilation/review January-February 2011 Publication April 2011

THIS HAS BEEN AN EFFORT BY DEBORAH R. DAVISAdjunct Professor of English Composition at Shawnee State University since 2005.A.S, Computer Science - Programming – Control Data InstituteA.S. Computer Science – Program Management – National Defense UniversityA.B. English – California State University Dominguez Hills with Minor in Western Civ/Poli SciM.A. (wop) Comparative Literature – San Diego State UniversityJ.D. Family & Military Law – California Western School of LawMajor, United States Marine Corps (Reserve), Retired