Schools may pay if grads can’t cut it

Schools may pay if grads can’t cut it

New legislation would trace remedial college problems to
source

By Rachanee Srisavasdi

Daily Bruin Staff

State Assembly Republicans introduced legislation last week that
would penalize school districts whose graduates take remedial
courses at either the University of California or California State
University.

The Academic Warranty Program Act would fine school districts
for students who need to take brush-up courses to offset costs of
remedial education at UC or CSU colleges.

"There are students who are getting A’s and B’s in high school
then have to take remedial classes in college," said Roger Magyar,
an education consultant for the Assembly Republicans. "When
students enroll in college, they are confident that they can do the
work. If they have to take remedial classes, school districts
should be held responsible."

Fines for school districts have been tentatively set at $20 per
hour of remedial instruction. If a school district does not pay the
fine, the amount will be withheld from the district’s
appropriations. Additionally, the policy would only apply to
students who spend at least two years at the same high school and
who graduate with GPAs of 2.8 or higher.

"We want to make sure all students going to college are
prepared," Magyar said. "(The districts) can do what they want to
the curriculum, but ultimately, they will bear the costs."

The bill was proposed in part to alleviate university costs of
offering remedial classes, as well as to raise standards of K-12
education.

Though the UC does not offer ‘remedial’ classes, students take
placement exams for English and mathematics. Some students are
placed in refresher courses, which cost the university about $2
million annually, according to the Office of the President .

The number of students taking remedial classes has risen at the
22 CSU campuses, costing the university about $10 million a year.
The expense has burdened the university system, which recently
decided to phase out remedial classes by 2007. After this phase
out, only community colleges will offer remedial classes.

Though analysts agreed that K-12 curricula needs improvement,
some said that the policy of fining school districts will only
further hurt financially lacking school districts.

"California is still at the bottom of all states with school
funding," said Joni Finney, associate director of the Higher
Education Policy Center in San Jose. "We should not penalize
schools that are already having financial problems.

"We need financial incentives programs that encourage districts
to improve," she added.

Yet backers of the proposed bill maintained the policy does not
target poor school districts, but rather poor curriculum.

"Although there are differences in revenue limits, they are not
sufficient enough to explain the gross failures of curriculum,"
Magyar said.

The bill also requires the UC and CSU universities to provide
proficiency standards in English and mathematics to each school
district. Currently school districts are not clearly aware of
higher education standards, some argue.

"If they want to improve the curriculum, a partnership needs to
be created between high schools and colleges," said Eugene Tucker,
a professor in the UCLA Graduate School of Education and
Information Studies. "Accountability is a two-way street. The
legislature should be responsible for providing more funds, and the
universities should let school districts know their standards."

The lack of communication about university standards to
districts hurt students the most, Tucker added. Students should be
given placement tests during high school to assess their progress
and familiarize themselves with university expectations.

The bill, which will be reviewed by a committee later this
month, may be adopted as a caucus position by the Assembly
Republicans, Magyar said.Comments to
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