Courses in College

A pilot program that is set to debut in eight states will allow students to graduate high school as early as the end of 10^th grade if they pass certain exams and demonstrate subject mastery. Upon “graduation,” these students will enroll in community colleges.

About the New Program

The New York Times reports that the new program will allow 10^th graders who pass “board exams” in math, English, history, and science to graduate two years early and begin taking courses at a community college if they so choose.

Those students who pass the exams but want to attend a selective four-year college or university may choose to continue taking high school courses during their 11^th and 12th-grade years. Those students who do not pass the tests in 10^th grade will have the opportunity to take the exams again at the end of their 11^th and 12th-grade years.

The Program’s Goals

Reduce the Need for Remedial Coursework in College

One of the program’s goals is to reduce the number of students who enter community colleges and four-year universities unprepared for college-level work. The New York Times reports that “more than a million college freshmen require remedial coursework each year nationwide.”

The National Center on Education and the Economy, which organizes the program, says that students requiring remedial coursework are more likely to drop out before earning a degree, as Rhode Island’s Providence Journal reports.

In the last decade, community colleges have certainly overcome its wrongful stereotype as “13^th grade,” providing invaluable education and training to millions of successful graduates. However, with 20% to 60% of today’s community college students needing remedial coursework, could the stereotype be reinforced once again?

The Problem

Shocking numbers of community college students need remedial coursework

According to Michigan’s Detroit Free Press, experts estimate that about 20% of students at four-year colleges and universities across the nation need remedial coursework of some kind. But at community colleges, “it has been estimated that 60% of first-time students need at least one remedial course.”

This video reports on Black and LatinX students being placed in remedial courses that waste their time/

Remedial coursework is costly for states and for students

The education research and advocacy group Alliance for Education estimated in 2006 that remedial education at community colleges and four-year universities costs taxpayers and students $1.4 billion per year.

Detroit Free Press reports that in the state of Michigan alone, more than $28 million is spent each year on remediation courses at just the community college level.

Students who require remedial coursework more likely to drop out

The Alliance for Education also estimated that the United States economy loses more than $2.3 billion every year due to the higher college dropout rate of students who require remedial reading

The past decade has seen an explosion of hybrid cars powered by alternative fuels, rather than traditional gasoline. What once seemed a science fiction dream – powering cars with energy other than petroleum – is quickly becoming a reality. However, alternative fuels don’t stop with hybrid engines; experts are working on creating vehicles that can be powered by compressed natural gas, biodiesel, ethanol, and propane.

As the landscape of the American auto industry shifts to include more alternative fuel vehicles, there is an emerging market for auto technicians who are trained to service and repair these next-generation cars. For those looking for a career in the auto industry with definite growth potential, a new training program for alternative fuel technicians available at community colleges could be an excellent investment.

This video offers a brief overview of the alternative fuels training at the Santa Fe Community Colleges.

Alternative Fuels Training Centers

West Virginia University started the National Alternative Fuels Training Consortium (NAFTC) in 1992 to address the lack of technicians who were trained to work with the then-new Alternative Fuel Vehicles. In 1995, the NAFTC added six technical training centers to the existing West Virginia University center. Since then, the program has grown to include 42 members: 41 national training centers and 1 associate training center.

The training centers are located in community colleges and other institutes of higher education from California to Maine.

Increasing numbers of students are enrolling in two-year community college programs, yet only one-third will graduate with their degrees. Naturally, there are multifaceted reasons for the high dropout rate, but some reports cite the students’ struggle with math courses as playing a major role, as outlined by WNYC.

Most community colleges require that students take three placement tests before registering for classes. The placement tests include a basic math section, a reading comprehension section, and a writing composition section.

Approximately half of prospective community college students struggle with the math placement test and, thus, require at least one remedial math class. Even at community colleges, most degrees require successfully completing several college-level math classes, and many students struggle to make the grade. Lowering the community college dropout rate partly hinges on preparing students for math success.

This video offers a look at Portland Community College's math literacy program.

Math Placement Tests: How to Improve Your Score

Scoring well on the math placement test can save time, effort, and money in the long term. In most cases, remedial math classes don’t count towards degree requirements; thus, making the score on placement tests can save you tuition fees. The best way to prepare for the math placement test is to get the gray matter working again – especially if a lot of time has elapsed since

The reports and statistics pertaining to current high school dropout rates make for shocking reading. Over 7,200 children drop out of high school on a daily basis, creating over 1.3 million new dropouts annually, according to a Census data review by the Daily Beast. Of course, vocational training and blue-collar jobs are hypothetical alternatives for these teenagers, but with the economy in shambles, entry-level jobs are few and far between. K16 Bridge Plan

The impacts of this educational crisis are best exemplified in cities like Detroit, where only 25% of students graduate with a high school diploma. The Detroit area suffers from high unemployment rates, low income, soaring crime rates, negligible social services, and a generally poorer quality of life – which give high school dropouts few opportunities.

However, community colleges may soon be the savior of high school graduation rates. Innovative new community college programs have been implemented in places like North Carolina, Texas, and California to keep students in high school until they graduate, as well as to help find the places in higher education thereafter.

This video from the National Center for Education Statistics reports on declining high school dropout rates.

The Money Incentive: Community Colleges and Scholarship Programs

Cost is one of the major hurdles associated with higher education in disadvantaged areas. Many students assume that even if they do complete high school,