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Standards Rising in Kansas. . .and the Lesson of CUNY
The Kansas Board of Regents on Wednesday took the admirable step of approving tougher admission standards, particularly in math and critical reading. High school graduates will now have to complete the state's new, tougher college-preparatory curriculum with at least a 2.0 grade point average. This small, but encouraging step puts schools in Kansas on the path to excellence, following the course CUNY took to gain the respect it has today. In the 1970's, CUNY was an open admissions system. Nearly all high school graduates were admitted, yet very few - 30% in 1999 - graduated. After raising admission standards, enrollment at CUNY reached the highest point since the mid-1970s, and average SAT scores for incoming freshmen are now in the top third nationwide. CUNY's low graduation rate was far from unique, and its solution, in retrospect, was self-evident. Today, the 6-year graduation rate at Kansas public universities ranges from 41% to 63%. When university admission standards are low, students who are unprepared at the high school level are set up to fail at the university level. But the graduation rate will begin to improve with simple changes such as the ones the Kansas Regents have made. High school graduates who do not meet the new standards, have the option of preparing at a two-year college, before moving to a four-year institution. Students who strengthen their academic skills in this way will fare much better and improve their chances of graduating. "This is a welcomed change," said University of Kansas Provost Jeff Vitter, who called the old standards "too lax." ACTA adds its congratulations.
Posted by Jose Herrera on December 20, 2010 at December 20, 2010 04:45 PM
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