Remedial Assistance
Printed From: MiddletownUSA.com
Category: Middletown City Schools
Forum Name: School Achievements
Forum Description: From Academic results to group and individual achievements
URL: http://www.middletownusa.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=4954
Printed Date: Nov 21 2024 at 10:49pm
Topic: Remedial Assistance
Posted By: VietVet
Subject: Remedial Assistance
Date Posted: Dec 21 2012 at 11:40am
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Today's Journal.... Ohio adopts standards for remedial education Ohio is looking to radically reduce the number of college freshmen taking remedial math and English classes, which are expensive to offer, do not appear to contribute to higher graduation rates and hike college costs for students because the courses don’t count toward their degrees. The changes come as remedial classes are getting increased scrutiny as Ohio emphasizes improving graduation rates, which is seen as necessary to attract more businesses looking for an educated workforce. Visger said high schools need to better prepare students for the rigors of higher education. To that end, the state is replacing the Ohio Graduation Test with a nationally standardized college readiness test, he said, and requiring end-of-course exams that more clearly define expectations for college and career readiness. "HIGH SCHOOLS NEED TO BETTER PREPARE STUDENTS FOR THE RIGORS OF HIGHER EDUCATION".....WAS HAPPENING 45 YEARS AGO AND IS STILL HAPPENING TODAY. IN THE 60'S, I TOOK ALL THE COLLEGE PREP COURSES OFFERED AT MIDDLETOWN HIGH SCHOOL. THE ENGLISH COURSES WERE ALIGNED WITH THE TRANSITION FROM HIGH SCHOOL TO COLLEGE, THE MATH COURSES WERE NOT. I TOOK ALGEBRA 1 AND 2, PLANE GEOMETRY, SOLID GEOMETRY, TRIGONOMETRY AND PRELIM. TO CALCULUS TO PREPARE FOR FRESHMAN MATH AT MIAMI........ALL OF THOSE COURSES DIDN'T HELP ME AT ALL AS MS. MULLIGAN (THE MAYOR'S MOTHER), A CALCULUS TEACHER AT MUM IN 1966, STARTED WITH LIMITS, WHICH IS WHERE WE FINISHED IN HIGH SCHOOL. THE STUFF SHE WAS TEACHING WAS ALL FOREIGN TO ME AT THE TIME, AND TO ADD INSULT TO INJURY, SHE RACED THROUGH IT LIKE EVERYONE HAD ALREADY BEEN INTRODUCED TO IT. GUESS SHE THOUGHT ALL THE KIDS WERE AS PROFICIENT AT MATH AS SHE WAS AND WAS NOT WILLING TO SLOW DOWN A BIT. MUM HAS ALREADY HAD TO PREPARE A SPECIAL PROGRAM FOR INCOMING FRESHMAN BECAUSE THE STUDENTS SENT TO THEM BY THE HIGH SCHOOLS WEREN'T PREPARED FOR THE FRESHMAN REQUIREMENTS, PRIMARILY IN ENGLISH, THE SCIENCES AND MATH. SO WHY AREN'T THE HIGH SCHOOLS UP TO SPEED ON TEACHING FOR THAT SMOOTH TRANSITION TO COLLEGE AFTER ALL THIS TIME? WHY HAVEN'T THE HIGH SCHOOLS AND THE COLLEGES GOTTEN TOGETHER TO PREP THE KIDS FOR THE MOVE UPWARD? ------------- I'm so proud of my hometown and what it has become. Recall 'em all. Let's start over. |
Replies:
Posted By: Chris Fiora
Date Posted: Dec 26 2012 at 11:24am
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Vet, Middletown High School actually offers all of the courses that an incoming college freshman needs to be prepared. For example, MHS offers Pre-Calculus, Advanced Pre-Calculus, Calculus and AP Calculus. They have similiar offerings in Language Arts. I graduated in 1976 and at that time MHS did not offer Calculus. I took the advanced math class that went up to beginning calculus and found myself a bit behind in math when I went to college, as you did. This was remedied years ago. ------------- |
Posted By: VietVet
Date Posted: Dec 26 2012 at 2:17pm
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"I took the advanced math class that went up to beginning calculus and found myself a bit behind" THEN IT WAS HAPPENING IN 1976 AS WELL AS IN MY ERA IN 1966. NO CHANGE IN THAT DECADE. NO REASON TO ASSUME, THEN, THAT IT HAS CHANGED IN 2012? "Middletown High School actually offers all of the courses that an incoming college freshman needs to be prepared" THEN WHY HAVE I READ ARTICLES FROM THE COLLEGES AND OCCASIONALLY SEE STORIES ON THE NEWS THAT THE COLLEGES MUST SET UP REMEDIAL COURSES TO ALIGN THE INCOMING FRESHMAN WITH THE STARTING CURRICULUM AT VARIOUS UNIVERSITIES? OFFERING THE COURSES THAT THE HIGH SCHOOLS THINK WILL BRING THE KIDS UP TO SPEED AS THEY ENTER FRESHMAN COLLEGE AND HAVING THOSE OFFERINGS HAVE THE PROPER CONTENT ARE TWO DIFFERENT THINGS IMO. DOES MIDDLETOWN HIGH SCHOOL TALK TO THE COLLEGES TO ASSURE THAT WHAT THEY ARE TEACHING WILL TIE IN TO WHAT THE COLLEGES START WITH OR......DOES MIDDLETOWN HIGH SCHOOL ASSUME THEY ARE OFFERING WHAT THE KIDS NEED TO BE ALIGNED WITH THE COLLEGES? "This was remedied years ago". ARE WE SURE? JUDGING BY THE COLLEGES STATEMENTS THAT THE INCOMING FRESHMAN ARE NOT READY TO TACKLE COLLEGE SUBJECTS UPON ENTERING THE DOOR, I WOULD SAY THE JURY IS STILL OUT ON THIS ONE. ------------- I'm so proud of my hometown and what it has become. Recall 'em all. Let's start over. |
Posted By: rngrmed
Date Posted: Dec 26 2012 at 10:45pm
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Vet- You felt like you were behind and you were in the advanced placement classes. Imagine how far behind the students are that are in the general education classes. Community colleges that have many technical degrees will place students in remedial classes. It seems more of a moeny game with them though. Another class you have to pay for to graduate.
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Posted By: Chris Fiora
Date Posted: Dec 27 2012 at 11:00am
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Vet, I can't speak for other school districts, but at Middletown High School I can only think of two reasons that an incoming college freshman wouldn't be prepared. 1. They didn't take the proper courses even though they were offered 2. They didn't master the material ------------- |
Posted By: VietVet
Date Posted: Dec 27 2012 at 4:21pm
Mr. Fiora. "Vet, I can't speak for other school districts, but at Middletown High School I can only think of two reasons that an incoming college freshman wouldn't be prepared. 1. They didn't take the proper courses even though they were offered" AND AGAIN, I WILL ASK, ARE THE COLLEGE COURSES THAT ARE OFFERED ACTUALLY PREPARING THE KID AND ARE WHAT THE COLLEGES SAY IS NEEDED OR ARE THE KIDS BEING EDUCATED LIKE YOU AND I WERE? IE- WE TOOK THE COLLEGE PREP COURSES BUT WHEN WE GOT TO COLLEGE, YOU AND I BOTH FOUND THEY WERE INADEQUATE IN PREPARATION. THAT WOULD INDICATE THE CURRICULUM ISN'T IN LINE WITH WHAT IS NEEDED AT THE NEXT LEVEL, WOULDN'T IT? "They didn't master the material" IF THIS IS THE CASE, THE MIDD. SCHOOLS NEED TO LOOK INTO WHY THAT IS OCCURING. IS IT THE DELIVERY AND TEACHING METHODS OF THE MATERIAL PREVENTING THE KID FROM MASTERING IT, IS IT THE DEGREE OF SPEED THAT IT IS INTRODUCED, NOT ALLOWING THE KID TO ABSORB THE MATERIAL BEFORE MOVING ON, IS IT THAT THE TEACHER CAN'T STOP AND ASSURE THE KIDS HAVE UNDERSTOOD WHAT HAS BEEN TAUGHT.....WHAT IS THE REASON THE KIDS ARE NOT MASTERING THE INFORMATION? WHAT HAVE THE SCHOOLS DONE TO REMEDY THIS IF IT HAS BEEN RECOGNIZED AS A PROBLEM? ------------- I'm so proud of my hometown and what it has become. Recall 'em all. Let's start over. |
Chris Fiora wrote: