Huntington Herald-Dispatch editorial: New strategy for remedial classes appears to aid students

Published April 12, 2016 in the Huntington Herald-Dispatch

One of the tell-tale signs that public education often falls short is that far too many students who graduate from high school aren’t adequately prepared to take on the rigors of college-level math and English. That’s not just a reference to students who did poorly in high school and did not intend to attend a college or university; it applies also to many students who plan to continue their studies and have been accepted at an institution of higher education.

In the past, the answer for those students was to take remedial courses, or classes that aim to help them catch up so that they understand math and English at the level they should for launching their college education. It’s good that these students had that opportunity, but the result was that they would get no course credits for the classes and they essentially start at a disadvantage in trying to complete degree requirements in a reasonable time, if at all.

However, West Virginia’s institutions of higher education are working to improve that situation for the students and also help themselves improve their own on-time degree completion rates. Having more students complete their degrees on time helps those institutions meet one of their chief goals, and helps students hold down their overall higher education costs at a time when tuition rates keep rising… >>READ MORE