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"Many, many years ago one of my English TA officemates noticed that a student wrote 'writhing' instead of 'writing.' We spent the rest of the afternoon inserting 'writhing' into textbook titles ('Writhing with a Purpose') and other phrases like 'technical writhing.' My favorite: 'writhing across the curriculum.'” --peg
Herding the 'Escape Goats': Contest Sends Up Epidemic of Student Howlers
College of William and Mary Hires Interim Chief as President
W. Taylor Reveley III was previously dean of William and Mary’s law school.
Cuomo Reported to Be Planning New Student-Loan Lawsuit and Agreements
After a long silence, New York’s attorney general is preparing a lawsuit against one student-loan company and is nearing agreements with about a dozen others.
Southern Cal Deletes Muslim Scripture From Web Site Following Complaint
The scripture, from Islamic texts knowns as hadiths, had appeared on the Web site of a Muslim-student group on the campus.
Palin Attended 4 Colleges in 5 Years to Earn Diploma
The Republican vice-presidential pick, Sarah Palin, attended four different colleges over five academic years before earning her bachelor’s degree.
California Budget Impasse Delays Grants for Community-College Students
Without a fiscal plan, the state will withhold money for Cal Grants from as many as 86,000 community-college students, which could lead some of them not to enroll.
Palin Attended 4 Colleges in 5 Years to Earn Diploma | 147
Professor Suspects UCLA Is Illegally Using Race in Admissions Decisions | 40
Cutthroat Competition for Textbook Sales Pits UMass Faculty Members Against Bookstore | 36
British Publisher Will Release Controversial Novel About Muhammad's Bride | 17
Sami Al-Arian Is Out of Jail for First Time in 5 Years | 17
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April 10, 2007
Professors Disagree With Teachers Over Student Readiness, Report Says
Most high-school teachers think their state standards successfully prepare students for college, but college instructors disagree. Nearly two-thirds of them say state standards have poorly equipped students for courses in various subject areas, according to a report scheduled for release today by ACT Inc., the nonprofit testing organization.
College instructors want students to enroll with solid fundamental skills — like reading, grammar, and scientific inquiry — but high-school teachers tend to expose them to a broader range of topics, the report says.
“State learning standards are often too wide and not deep enough,” Cynthia B. Schmeiser, president and chief operating officer of ACT’s education division, said in a written statement.
“They are trying to cover too much ground — more ground than colleges deem necessary — in the limited time they have with students. As a result, key academic skills needed for college get short shrift,” she continued. “This is a serious problem that states must address to better prepare our young people for success after high school.”
ACT’s report, “Aligning Postsecondary Expectations and High School Practice: The Gap Defined,” is based on survey responses from 6,500 high-school and college instructors around the country. In an accompanying research report, ACT breaks down concepts from various subject areas, noting what percentage of middle- and high-school teachers cover those concepts, and how important secondary and postsecondary instructors consider each one.
In a news conference on Monday, ACT officials said at least three states — Indiana, Kentucky, and Michigan — were already working to bridge the gap between high-school preparation and postsecondary expectations. The organization plans to analyze all states’ progress in improving college readiness and to release its findings this year.
The importance of better aligning high-school curricula with college requirements has been emphasized in a series of recent reports, including ones issued by groups that study public education, a policy-research organization’s Commission on No Child Left Behind, and the federal Commission on the Future of Higher Education. —Sara Lipka
Posted on Tuesday April 10, 2007 | Permalink |Comments
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This report does not surpries me in the least. States do NOT have standards. As long as the kids stay in the classroom, the states (and their parents) are happy. What they do in that room, is not important. Schools do not teach our kids.
— Richard Burke Apr 10, 01:24 PM #