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0|0|0|||||CO%3A School District Tackles College Prep|alexb||12:44:13|02/04/2005|%2A%2A%2A%2A%2A%2A%2A%2A%2A%2A%2A%2A%2A%2A%2A%2A%2A%2A%2A%2A%2A%2A%2A%2A%0D%0A From the Coloradoan%2C Monday%2C January 31%2C 2005. See %0D%0Ahttp%3A%2F%2Fvh10228.moc.gbahn.net%2Fapps%2Fpbcs.dll%2Farticle%3FAID%3D%2F20050131%2FNEWS01%2F501310309 %0D%0A. Our thanks to Sandy Lemberg for bringing this article to our %0D%0Aattention.%0D%0A%2A%2A%2A%2A%2A%2A%2A%2A%2A%2A%2A%2A%2A%2A%2A%2A%2A%2A%2A%2A%2A%2A%2A%2A%0D%0APSD tackles college prep%0D%0A%0D%0ACSU also faces statewide issue of remedial grads%0D%0A%0D%0ABy Courtney Lingle  %5BCourtneyLingle%40coloradoan.com%5D%0D%0A%0D%0APoudre School District%2C like many of Colorado%27s high schools%2C is %0D%0Agraduating students unprepared to take on college-level courses.%0D%0A%0D%0AA report released last week by the Colorado Commission for High %0D%0ASchool Reform showed only 29 percent of Colorado%27s high school %0D%0Astudents arrive at college ready for the work.%0D%0A%0D%0AIn its 2004 Legislative Report on Remedial Education%2C the Colorado %0D%0ACommission on Higher Education came out with similar statistics.%0D%0A%0D%0AAccording to the report%2C one-fourth of recent Colorado public high %0D%0Aschool graduates who pursued undergraduate studies in this state had %0D%0Ato take remedial coursework when they got to college. Of those %0D%0Aassigned to remedial placement%2C 86 percent were deficient in math and %0D%0Aa quarter were not up to par in all three areas of math%2C writing and %0D%0Areading.%0D%0A%0D%0AIt%27s a problem that costs taxpayers as much as %2421.2 million for %0D%0Aremedial education.%0D%0A%0D%0AColorado State University is no exception.%0D%0A%0D%0A%22I think that the biggest challenge area is math%2C%22 said Gaye %0D%0ADiGregorio%2C interim associate director at the Center for Advising and %0D%0AStudent Achievement at CSU. Writing and reading do not seem to be %0D%0Amuch of a problem%2C she said.%0D%0A%0D%0AWhile some studies show high school students are taking more math %0D%0Athan ever%2C DiGregorio said many first-year students at CSU are %0D%0Astruggling with the school%27s math placement test%2C which begins with %0D%0Aalgebra testing.%0D%0A%0D%0A%22Some of those students haven%27t had that since junior high%2C%22 she %0D%0Asaid%2C noting that part of the problem is that some high school %0D%0Astudents quit taking math after fulfilling their requirements.%0D%0A%0D%0AWhile CSU has tutors and online resources to help students prepare %0D%0Afor the placement exam%2C some students end up taking remedial courses %0D%0Ato catch up.%0D%0A%0D%0A%22My recommendation would be to take as much math as possible and to %0D%0Atake math in your senior year%2C%22 DiGregorio said. %22The amount of math %0D%0Aa student takes in high school is an indicator of performance in %0D%0Acollege.%22%0D%0A%0D%0AMinorities and students from urban areas are more likely to be %0D%0Aunprepared for college-level courses than white students and those %0D%0Afrom outlying towns and more rural areas%2C studies show.%0D%0A%0D%0AThe 2004 Legislative Report on Remedial Education showed 10 to 25 %0D%0Apercent of Larimer County high school students who pursue higher %0D%0Aeducation are assigned to remedial courses in college.%0D%0A%0D%0ABoulder and Douglas counties showed similar statistics%2C while more %0D%0Athan a quarter of college students coming from Weld%2C Adams%2C Denver%2C %0D%0AJefferson and Arapahoe counties were deemed unprepared for %0D%0Acollege-level courses in one or more subject areas.%0D%0A%0D%0ASherry Gerner%2C PSD assistant superintendent for secondary schools%2C %0D%0Asaid the district recognizes the problem and is dedicated to making %0D%0Asure students leave PSD ready to tackle college courses.%0D%0A%0D%0A%22We do want to make sure that our students are prepared and they have %0D%0Athe prerequisites they need in college%2C%22 Gerner said.%0D%0A%0D%0ASchools throughout the district offer elective preparatory classes%2C %0D%0Aincluding courses in reading and integrated math%2C and advanced %0D%0Aplacement %28AP%29 courses for students planning to attend college%2C %0D%0Athough students must choose those courses from a wide array of course %0D%0Aofferings.%0D%0A%0D%0ARocky Mountain High School Assistant Principal Marian Kolstoe said %0D%0Ahigh school counselors work closely with students to identify their %0D%0Agoals and register them for courses that will help them achieve those %0D%0Agoals.%0D%0A%0D%0AFor students planning to attend college%2C AP and other rigorous %0D%0Acourses are encouraged to make sure they are prepared.%0D%0A%0D%0A%22Every year%2C at least 35 to 40 percent of our students are taking AP %0D%0Aclasses%2C%22 Kolstoe said%2C noting that Rocky has 17 different AP courses.%0D%0A%0D%0AThe report on remedial education shows a direct correlation between %0D%0Ahigh school college prep curriculum and success in college.%0D%0A%0D%0AStudents coming into college without completing a pre-collegiate core %0D%0Ahad a significantly higher rate of placement in remedial courses than %0D%0Athose who took college prep classes.%0D%0A%0D%0AStudents who were able to dive right into college level classes were %0D%0Aalso more likely to remain in college than those who arrived with %0D%0Adeficiencies. The remedial education report showed the retention rate %0D%0Afor students at four-year institutions who were assigned to a regular %0D%0Acollege load was 16 percent higher than for students assigned to at %0D%0Aleast one remedial class.%0D%0A%0D%0ADiGregorio stressed the importance of college preparatory curriculum %0D%0Ain high schools%2C saying it %22most definitely%22 helps students enter %0D%0Acollege prepared.%0D%0A%0D%0AGov. Bill Owens is backing legislation that would require parental %0D%0Anotification if their child fails to register for college prep %0D%0Aclasses in high school. The parents may then allow the student to opt %0D%0Aout.%0D%0A%0D%0AGerner said PSD administrators are taking a look at the graduation %0D%0Arequirements for PSD seniors to see whether the required core classes %0D%0Aare meeting students%27 needs. They will likely have a recommendation %0D%0Afor the school board this spring.%0D%0A%0D%0A%22We will work with our junior high principals and our high school %0D%0Aprincipals and counselors as we come up with these graduation %0D%0Arequirements%2C%22 Gerner said%2C adding that PSD will look at what other %0D%0Adistricts do across Colorado and the nation.%0D%0A%0D%0A%22We%27ll increase those %28grad standards%29 if we need to%2C%22 she said%2C %0D%0Athough that decision would ultimately be up to the school board.%0D%0A%2A%2A%2A%2A%2A%2A%2A%2A%2A%2A%2A%2A%2A%2A%2A%2A%2A%2A%2A%2A%2A%2A%2A%2A%2A%2A%2A%2A%2A%2A%2A%2A%2A%2A%2A%2A%2A%2A%2A%2A%0D%0A