The Challenge
High school graduates face many barriers to success in college, with affordability usually considered the most formidable. But for many students, academic preparation is equally daunting. This policy memo offers three recommendations to better address the differing levels of academic preparedness of incoming college students.
The Facts
Many high school graduates who are not academically prepared for college are placed in remedial or developmental courses. These courses are designed to help students develop the skills they need to succeed in college and in the labor market, but they can actually impede students’ progress. That’s because they often come with hidden costs and unintended consequences. For example:
- Students in remedial courses pay college-level prices for high school-level material.
- Credits from such courses often don’t count toward a degree.
- Financial aid eligibility may expire before a student graduates.
Recommendations
States, university systems, school districts, and the federal government could take several steps to improve remediation and ultimately make it unnecessary.
1. Improve placement in developmental classes.
Improving the assessment of students’ academic preparation is the first step in better tailoring supports for their needs. Better assessment can also reduce the number of students who are incorrectly placed in remediation due an opaque process or bad testing day.
2. Provide better college remediation.
College-level developmental education could be vastly improved through the use of technology, better support services, and innovative teaching methods.
3. Adopt measures to prevent the need for remediation.
Several states are encouraging students to take college-readiness assessments in high school. Students can then use this early information to make course selections and avoid remediation altogether. Aligning curricula and strengthening links between K-12 and higher education could also help ensure that students are academically prepared for college.