Retaking writing and 'rithmetic

Brittany Bollinger thought the transition between high school and college would be manageable.

But on Friday she returned her college algebra textbook.

"I dropped the class. If I had known college algebra would be this hard, I would have paid more attention in high school," she said.

The 2007 Woodland High School graduate's math ACT subscore was above a 21, meaning she was not required to take a remedial math class at Southeast Missouri State University.

She had taken three units of math in high school at the level of Algebra I or higher, Southeast's requirement for admission.

Despite that requirement, nearly 32 percent of high school graduates enrolled this school year are taking a "developmental," or remedial, class in math. Placement is based on a student's ACT score or an optional math test. About 4 percent needed to take a remedial writing class.

The numbers mirror local percentages for the most part. Thirty-one percent of Woodland graduates needed to a developmental math class in 2006, according to the Missouri Department of Higher Education. In both Cape Girardeau and Jackson, 20 percent did.

Professor John Campbell stressed the importance of using the five senses in descriptive writing during an English 99 "Writing Skills Workshop" course Monday, October 29, 2007, at Southeast Missouri State University. Roughly 30 percent of freshman need to take remedial math and english classes at Southeast Missouri State University.

The numbers are a concern for administrators and professors, parents, politicians, business leaders and students alike.

Remedial classes don't count as credit toward a degree. Most worrisome, educators say, is the increased risk for dropping out connected to students required to take a remedial class.

Cost is another concern. According to a spring 2006 brief from the Center for Evaluation & Education Policy, "taxpayers have complained that they are paying twice for students' education in basic skills -- once in high school and then again in college." The report estimates nationally that remedial education in public colleges costs more than $1 billion annually.

While numbers of local students taking remedial classes have remained relatively stable or have dropped, schools are taking action to better prepare students.

This month, the Cape Girardeau school board approved a process to implement PAS, or Preparing for Academic Success, classes at the high school. The classes, which will extend the school day by 30 minutes, will be required of all freshmen starting next year.

Students will receive instruction in literacy and study skills, academic preparation and tutoring, and the development and monitoring of four-year graduation plans.

Older students who continue to take the class will receive training in formal college and career planning.

Administrators hope this will not only keep students in high school but also prepare them for post-graduation.

"Our challenge is to sustain academic rigor while at the same time helping those that struggle gain from that rigor," said Dr. Mike Cowan, principal of Cape Girardeau Central High School.

Students tend to take easier classes unless they are challenged, said Tim Arbeiter, a former school board member and the vice president for community development at the Cape Girardeau Chamber of Commerce.

In many schools, three units of math are required, but beyond algebra the classes aren't specified. One of the main reasons for remedial classes is because students take the most basic schedule instead of a rigorous one, he said.

Arbeiter is working on an initiative with the Missouri Chamber of Commerce called Show-Me Scholars. Starting in the eighth grade -- educators say college planning must begin earlier -- business leaders from the community would enter classrooms to encourage students to sign up for rigorous courses in high school. The Show-Me Scholar course of study outlines specifically which math, science and English classes a student must take.

"The courses are there. That is one thing that is frustrating, especially when schools are criticized for not being well-prepared. ... But if a student is not required to take a particular course, they may not choose courses they exactly need," said Audie Cline, the executive director of the initiative.

Arbeiter said the plan will be rolled out in the fall in Cape Girardeau, and Cline intends to make presentations to other local chambers to get them involved.

Besides expanding dual credit course options, Jackson High School principal Rick McClard said he is considering creating a class similar to Cape Girardeau's PAS course. The school's main focus, however, is on educating parents and students of the need for seniors not to slack off their last year.

"A lot of seniors are not pushing themselves as hard as they did their junior year, and then they go to college and they flounder," McClard said. "We need to advise our parents and students about the importance of their senior year."

More communication between high schools and colleges is needed as well, said Dr. David Reinheimer, the director of writing assessment at Southeast.

"The high school thinks, for instance, we need to get the student to point A because of the MAP [Missouri Assessment Program] test, whereas the college is looking for students to be a point B," he said.

Reinheimer serves on a state committee to draft a set of competencies, or expectations, a college would have for high school graduates. The committees are a result of a Senate bill and have formed for seven subjects.

Post-graduation readiness is not only a problem for colleges; business leaders are calling for better prepared employees, especially in "soft skills," such as reliability, leadership or ability to work with a team.

"I cover 13 counties, and it's an issue everywhere I go," said Scott Sattler, manager of the Workforce Investment Board of Southeast Missouri.

"What we are hearing the business community saying is that grads are ready academically, but what they need employees who are going to show up everyday, on time, drug-free," Cowan said.

lbavolek@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 123