| ding to an ACT college entrance exam study, | | | | In private 2-year colleges, 26 percent of entering |
| three-fourths of students who took the ACT in 2006 | | | | students were enrolled in a remedial course. |
| lacked the skills to succeed in entry-level, | | | |
It is clear that remediation is a widespread |
| credit-bearing college courses in reading, math, social | | | | necessity in U.S. community colleges. Forty-one |
| studies and science, even though they had taken a | | | | percent of first-time community college students |
| high school curriculum designed to prepare them for | | | | enroll in remedial courses. Over 1.2 million students |
| higher education. | | | | annually participate in community college remediation, |
| During the 2003-04 school year, according to a 2006 | | | | and 99 percent of the nation’s public 2-year |
| report by the National Center for Education Statistics | | | | institutions offer remedial courses. |
| (NCES), more than a third of first- and second-year | | | | And these estimates are conservative! According to |
| undergraduates reported taking a remedial course. | | | | the State Higher Education Executive Officers, only |
| The Alliance for Excellent Education, a nonprofit | | | | about half of U.S. states require remediation |
| group, reported in 2006 that community colleges | | | | assessment and placement. Consequently, the figures |
| alone spend $1.4 billion annually on remedial courses | | | | include only those students who placed into remedial |
| for recent high school graduates. The group also | | | | courses and took them, not those who may have |
| noted that community colleges, like public schools, are | | | | qualified but avoided it. (Remedial Courses: Estimates |
| subsidized by taxes. | | | | of Student Participation and the Volume of |
| Although the most common remediation method | | | | Remediation in U.S. Community Colleges Prepared for |
| used by community colleges was the remedial | | | | The League for Innovation in the Community College, |
| course, they employed other methods, including | | | | by Hunter R. Boylan and D. Patrick Saxon, National |
| tutoring programs, computerized learning laboratories, | | | | Center for Developmental Education) |
| and learning assistance programs that featured a | | | | Cost |
| variety of individualized programs. In 1992, according | | | | Because too many high school students are not |
| to the National Study of Developmental Education, | | | | learning the basic skills needed to succeed in college |
| over 90 percent of U.S. community colleges used | | | | or work, the nation loses more than $3.7 billion a |
| these additional methods to supplement or substitute | | | | year. This includes $1.4 billion to provide remedial |
| for remedial courses. | | | | education to recent high school graduates, as well as |
| In addition, an estimated 700,000 students, many | | | | the almost $2.3 billion that the economy loses |
| attending community colleges, were served by | | | | because remedial reading students are more likely to |
| federally funded TRIO Programs, which provide non- | | | | drop out of college, thereby reducing their earning |
| course-based remediation (Boylan, 1995). | | | | potential. |
| Consequently, the study actually underestimated, | | | | Of those who enter high school in the United States, |
| perhaps by a significant margin, the number of | | | | only about 70 percent will graduate—one of |
| students receiving some form of remediation in the | | | | the lowest rates among industrialized nations (Greene |
| nation’s community colleges. | | | | & Winters, 2006). Equally important is the fact |
| 1998 NCES data indicated that in Fall 1995, 41 percent | | | | that, of those who do receive a diploma, only half |
| of 963,000 first-time public community college | | | | are academically prepared for postsecondary |
| students were enrolled in at least one remedial | | | | education (Greene & Winters, 2005). A recent |
| course. Twenty-six percent of 56,000 first-time | | | | study of high school juniors and seniors taking the |
| private community college students took a remedial | | | | ACT confirms this; only half were ready for |
| class. These percentages total 409,390 first-time | | | | college-level reading in math, history, science, and |
| community college students that took one or more | | | | English (ACT, 2006). |
| remedial courses in Fall 1995. | | | | Despite these daunting statistics, the vast majority |
| Enrollment figures at one school, Jackson Community | | | | of America’s high school students are |
| College, reveal the trend that the number of | | | | optimistic about their prospects for the future, which |
| students requiring instruction and support in reading | | | | they anticipate includes both higher education and |
| has been increasing in recent years. In 2001-02, the | | | | rewarding careers. In fact, according to a recent |
| school enrolled 257 students in the remedial course | | | | national survey, 81 percent of high school students |
| English 085: College Reading. In 2005-06, 499 students | | | | expect to attend college (High School Survey of |
| were enrolled. | | | | Student Engagement, 2005). This goal is wise, since |
| Enrollment decline at Jackson CC is also indicative of | | | | 80 percent of the fastest-growing jobs in the U.S. |
| a lack of postsecondary preparation. Total enrollment | | | | require at least some postsecondary education (U.S. |
| for Fall 2006 was 6,173. By Winter 2007, enrollment | | | | Department of Labor, 2005). |
| was just 4,124. (Literacy Coaching, Service Learning | | | | Students and their families pay approximately $283 |
| & Literacy: Jackson Community College, Amelia | | | | million in community college tuition, one-fifth of the |
| Gamel). | | | | overall cost of remediation. But there’s |
| In September 1993, the U.S. Department of | | | | another cost - time. Students’ time could be |
| Education released the most detailed portrait ever | | | | better spent taking college-level courses, which would |
| available on the condition of illiteracy in the United | | | | advance their goals and increase their earning |
| States. The National Adult Literacy Survey (NALS) | | | | potential. And because many colleges do not offer |
| evaluated the skills of adults in three areas of | | | | credit for remedial courses, students are expending |
| proficiency: prose, document, and quantitative. | | | | energy on study that, while necessary, delays their |
| Results showed: | | | | quest for a degree. |
| • 23% - 25% (40 to 44 million adults) were | | | | Individual states, and the nation as a whole, are not |
| at Level 1, the lowest of five levels. This group is the | | | | only paying to remediate thousands of young adults, |
| Adult Literacy Service's primary target | | | | but are risking future financial loss because students |
| population—those identified as functionally | | | | who need remediation are more likely to leave |
| illiterate. | | | | college without a degree, becoming more likely to |
| • 25% - 28% (50 million adults) were at Level | | | | earn less than if they had gotten a college diploma. |
| 2. According to the Executive Summary, "While their | | | | Research shows that the leading predictor that a |
| skills were more varied than those of individuals in | | | | student will drop out of college is the need for |
| Level 1, their repertoire was still quite limited." | | | | remedial reading. While 58 percent of students who |
| The survey also found literacy proficiencies of young | | | | take no remedial education courses earn a |
| adults to be somewhat lower, on average, than the | | | | Bachelor’s degree within eight years, only 17 |
| proficiencies of young adults who participated in a | | | | percent of students who enroll in a remedial reading |
| similar study in 1985 by the National Assessment of | | | | course receive a BA or BS within the same time |
| Educational Progress. | | | | period (NCES, 2004). |
| The statistics are clear; illiteracy is on the rise in the | | | | The wages of individuals with only some college |
| United States! | | | | experience average about $20,171 less each year |
| The Office of Technology Assessment (OAT), an | | | | than graduates. Furthermore, when students drop |
| analytical arm of the U.S. Congress, stated in a 1993 | | | | out, not only do they lose future income, but |
| report: | | | | governments lose tax revenue, and state and |
| "Standards and requirements for literacy have | | | | national economies are deprived of additional earnings |
| increased over time and a large number of adults | | | | that would make them more robust. |
| need to improve their literacy skills. OAT finds that at | | | | However, the real price of college remediation is likely |
| least 35 million adults have difficulty with common | | | | much higher than this. The estimate does not include |
| literacy tasks. Although many of these adults can | | | | the costs of remediation for students attending public |
| read at rudimentary levels, they need higher levels of | | | | or private four-year colleges, or for older community |
| literacy to function effectively in society, to find | | | | college students. Nor does it count other, non- |
| employment, or to be trained for new jobs as the | | | | community college-related remediation expenditures. |
| workplace changes... Fewer than 10% of the | | | | There are additional costs. Employers must pay for |
| population in need is being reached." | | | | training programs to teach basic skills or purchase |
| According to the American Council on Education, | | | | technology to compensate for a lack of these skills. |
| first-time students comprised only about 56 percent | | | | Nonprofits and government agencies as well, pay for |
| of those taking remedial courses at any given time. A | | | | adult literacy training, technology, and other academic |
| large number of enrollees in remedial courses included | | | | and occupational skills. (Paying Double: Inadequate |
| students repeating a remedial course, those unable to | | | | High Schools and Community College Remediation, |
| register for one in their first semester, and those | | | | 2006) |
| who delayed taking remedial courses until later in their | | | | For faster, less costly remedial education, more and |
| college careers. Assuming that this 56 percent | | | | more parents and adult learners are turning to |
| represented 409,390 first-time students, the total | | | | self-directed courses like literacy pod to supplement |
| estimate for remedial course enrollees in Fall 1995 | | | | what they and/or their children are not getting in the |
| was 731,054. | | | | school system or through other forms of group |
| Since enrollment figures for Spring 1996 were not | | | | instruction. This is especially true of reading. Too |
| available, an estimate was used to compare | | | | many school systems have turned away from |
| remediation enrollment in Fall/Spring 1995-96. | | | | phonics-based reading instruction to other methods |
| Experience suggested that slightly more community | | | | that have proven ineffective. |
| college students took remedial courses in Fall 1995 | | | | Why Johnny Can't Read (1955) and Why Johnny Still |
| (60%) than Spring 1996 (40%). | | | | Can't Read (1981), by Rudolf Franz Flesch, raised |
| An estimate, therefore, of the number of students | | | | public awareness of a planned illiteracy (Chapter 2 |
| taking one or more remedial courses at some point | | | | "History of a Gimmick", Chapter 4 "The Great Cover |
| during Fall/Spring 1995-96 was 1,218,422. This | | | | up") which could never have happened had our |
| estimate included an unknown number of students | | | | parents known the alphabetic code. The best way to |
| who took one or more remedial courses in the fall | | | | end just about anything is to let everyone know all |
| and had to repeat one or more of them during the | | | | about it. |
| spring. | | | | Previous U.S Presidents poured billions of dollars and |
| Given that some of these 1,218,422 students were | | | | placed millions of volunteers into schools. But that |
| taking more than one remedial course, the actual | | | | won't solve the "illiteracy scam." The government |
| number of registrations was somewhat higher during | | | | diverted attention away from phonics in favor of the |
| this period. Moreover, the estimate included only | | | | "whole language" method, by requiring it under |
| courses in reading, writing, and mathematics. | | | | President Clinton's Goals 2000 program. Research in |
| NCES reported, for example, that 36 percent of the | | | | reading instruction shows conclusively, however, that |
| nation’s public community colleges offered | | | | the "whole language" method does not work. |
| remedial courses in general science, biology, | | | | The National Institute of Child Health and Human |
| chemistry, and physics. This is consistent with the | | | | Development spent more than $1.2 billion in research |
| 1992 National Study of Developmental Education, | | | | to prove that phonics is the best way to teach |
| which found that remedial science courses were | | | | reading. In fact, it has been proven repeatedly that |
| offered in about a third of U. S. community colleges. | | | | direct, systematic instruction about the alphabetic |
| Generally regarded as the most reliable recent study | | | | code is the most powerful weapon in the fight |
| on remediation in higher education, a 1996 NCES | | | | against illiteracy. Any responsible linguist, teacher, |
| survey during Fall 1995 used the Postsecondary | | | | parent, or cognitive scientist in the research |
| Education Quick Information System to survey 847 | | | | community would agree. However, Don't Be Fooled |
| randomly selected American higher education | | | | By Fake Phonics; but that's another article. |
| institutions. A major finding was that 41 percent of | | | | Johnny is off to college, but first he may want to |
| the students entering public community colleges in Fall | | | | make a stop at a self-directed remedial course to |
| 1995 were enrolled in one or more remedial courses. | | | | help ensure his success. |