Parent Power!
Helping You Make Sense of Schooling Today

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Published by
The Center for Education Reform
Jeanne Allen, President

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Few parents realize that nearly one-fourth of entering college students must take remedial courses these days because they start university unprepared to do university-level work. Remedial classes cost as much as other courses, but students get no college credit for them. Parents who pay ever-increasing tuition bills angrily ask why high school did not prepare their children for college. Much of the blame rests with lax graduation requirements that allow high-schoolers to slide by with just the minimum academically.
          Years ago the National Commission on Excellence in Education recommended students take the following classes in high school: four English, three social studies, two math and two science classes. All told, that adds up to 11 academic classes over a four-year period or fewer than three academic courses per year! While some students load up on academic electives and AP courses, only 40% of students graduate with more than the bare minimum. Many graduate with even less. Since kids are not required to take math or science beyond their sophomore year, most do not. Instead they waste a two-year opportunity to better prepare for college by sitting through easy electives and working at the local pizza joint. Meanwhile, parents assume their teenagers are getting the education they need – at least until the realities of college or work prove otherwise.
          Another factor contributing to students’ lack of preparation is that teenagers opt to take easier versions of math or science rather than push themselves to take the advanced classes that will help them in college. Only one in five seniors takes trigonometry; only one in four takes physics. Not surprisingly, most employers and professors report that today’s high school graduates lack the skills necessary to succeed at work or college.
          Many parents do not pay close attention to the classes their children take in high school, assuming guidance counselors will advise students to take demanding courses. Judging by the number of students in college remedial classes, this is not happening. What can parents who want their children to be prepared for college do? First, understand that education should not be about meeting the minimum requirements. To succeed your child needs to be exposed to a full menu of content-rich courses. Check with your child’s school to find out what is required to graduate and what courses are recommended for college bound students. Next, find out what is required in those classes. Is it legitimately high-school level work? Finally, start researching colleges early (i.e. when your child is a freshman or sophomore.) Every college has a list of admission requirements. Make sure you are not blinded by a false sense of security. As a parent you need to be vigilant and make sure your school does the job you have entrusted it to do. Otherwise, your child’s job at the pizza joint could last a lifetime.