Keep Those Standards Up

 



It should not be a surprise to anyone that graduation rates in the city's two year colleges is falling.  Colleges have standards. High schools do not.  To pass a class in college, a student has to show mastery of the subject.  There is no boot camp, or credit recovery classes.  Students can't just answer 100 questions online and make up all the work they didn't do during the semester.  There is no extra credit or second chances. High school students know the schools will do everything to get them to graduate.  No matter how poor their grades are, they understand that the school's standing and their teacher's job depend upon their passing and pass they will.  No principal wants his school closed.

I fear this new push to improve graduation rates will have the colleges lowering standards as well and soon the college diploma will be as meaningless as one from high school.   Schools like John Jay, York, and Hostos cater to a different type of student than schools like Baruch and NYU.  But, what all these schools have in common is that their degrees mean something.  I teach at a community college.  While it might be easy to get in, it is not easy to get out.  Anyone who graduates from this school as well as from York or John Jay or any other CUNY has gotten a first class education and a degree that means they have learned their stuff.


 

Reality Check



Julie didn't do any homework in high school, even though homework counted 20% of her grade.  Her counselor told her she wouldn't graduate unless she did a project consisting of answering 50 questions on line.  She got her best friend to complete the assignment and graduated on time with her class.

Bob didn't like getting all sweaty in gym class.  His counselor told him he could not graduate missing three physical education credits but he could make the credits up by going to a gym.  His brother was an avid gym goer and signed Bob's name whenever he went.  He made up two credits this way and the third credit by signing in for Saturday gym and then sitting in the auditorium.  He also graduated on time with his class.

Beth failed because of her excessive absences.  She made them all up by going to boot camp during spring break.  She too graduated on time.

Mitch has a 30 average in math. Department policy passed all students who passed the regents.  Mitch scored a 65, which meant he got 27 out of 85 points correct.  Mitch passed math and got his diploma.

Mitch, Bob, Julie and Beth are all college students now.  All are failing at least one course.   They are upset because there is nothing they can do to help themselves. The final they must pass is a real test and even that doesn't guarantee a passing grade in the class.  They never thought the college would stick to the policy explained in the beginning of the semester.  High school, aside from not providing an education, did not even provide any basis for survival in real life.