Students who lack basic math, English, and reading skills are less likely to succeed in college and the job market. A recent report by the Center for Community College Student Engagement found that two-thirds of community college students are unprepared for college-level work and have to take at least one remedial class. Most of these students will drop out of college before they have earned a certificate or degree.
This is a nationwide problem for which North Carolina has proposed an innovative solution. Last year, the North Carolina General Assembly passed legislation that shifts remedial math and English courses from the community college level into high schools.
The Pope Center’s Stephanie Keaveney followed up on North Carolina’s progress so far. She believes that the “Community College System is now on the cusp of an even bigger reform: fundamentally changing the delivery of remedial education in the state of North Carolina.”
North Carolina can expect to see pilot programs at six high schools within the next year. Students who do not meet certain criteria during their junior year will attend remedial classes at their high schools during their senior year.
Read Keaveney’s full analysis here.