2008 Woodie Awards
Students not guided to success
Caprice Oliver
Issue date: 12/14/06 Section: Points Of View
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Do students need more guidance?
Community colleges have no problem with getting many students to enroll but they do have a problem with keeping them. California has 109 community colleges, making California the world's largest post- secondary education system.
It appears that students are not interested or they are not getting what they need. some 2.5 million students walk in the door of school but very few obtain degrees or vocational certification. Community colleges are supposed to be the next step to higher learning, but overall they are turning out failing students.
Almost 70 percent of students who enter a community college with the intent of transferring to a four- year college fail to do so. California's Public Policy Institute found only a quarter of students whose goals were to transfer to a four-year college did so. Only 10 percent of students striving for an associate's degree got it.
Who should be blamed for these disappointing reports? Lack of preparation for college is a big reason. Many high schools in the Bay Area do not put as much into the students as they used to.
Students are able to get their diplomas without being able to perform on college level with basic education. There are high school students that do not know how to read and are barely getting by because of schools' nonchalant attitude. Students who pass the exit exam believe they are ready for college, but the truth is, most are not.
There should be standard testing in each grade before passing a student. Community colleges get money for each student's initial enrollment, which is wrong. The state is very backward because it should instead be rewarding schools based on performance and rates of success.
Community colleges have no problem with getting many students to enroll but they do have a problem with keeping them. California has 109 community colleges, making California the world's largest post- secondary education system.
It appears that students are not interested or they are not getting what they need. some 2.5 million students walk in the door of school but very few obtain degrees or vocational certification. Community colleges are supposed to be the next step to higher learning, but overall they are turning out failing students.
Almost 70 percent of students who enter a community college with the intent of transferring to a four- year college fail to do so. California's Public Policy Institute found only a quarter of students whose goals were to transfer to a four-year college did so. Only 10 percent of students striving for an associate's degree got it.
Who should be blamed for these disappointing reports? Lack of preparation for college is a big reason. Many high schools in the Bay Area do not put as much into the students as they used to.
Students are able to get their diplomas without being able to perform on college level with basic education. There are high school students that do not know how to read and are barely getting by because of schools' nonchalant attitude. Students who pass the exit exam believe they are ready for college, but the truth is, most are not.
There should be standard testing in each grade before passing a student. Community colleges get money for each student's initial enrollment, which is wrong. The state is very backward because it should instead be rewarding schools based on performance and rates of success.
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