The College Guide had a piece earlier today about Kentucky’s higher education plan and the need for remediation. High standards are great, but not without systems in place to support those high standards. Kentucky’s standards will likely result in more remedial courses, and remedial courses are more a predictor of failure than a tool for success.
There is more on this. A new study of Virginia community colleges indicates that most students who take any remedial courses never pass regular courses. Students took more than one remedial course were unlikely to even begin taking regular courses.
The study offered several suggestions to improve education. One suggestion was simply to cut out remedial courses and mainstream students into regular courses while providing them with extra support.