0.62%

I first read this story and thought 62% of H.S. graduates entering our local Gavilan Junior College have college level math skills, a number I thought was low but very workable. Wrong.

It's 0.62%!

LINK
Less than half of the Gilroy High School students entering Gavilan College this semester were prepared for college-level English classes and a paltry 0.62 percent - less than one in 100 students - of those students were ready for college-level math. The majority of these GHS students ended up in remedial classes - classes they should have mastered in high school or even junior high.

The problem with students being unprepared for college is compounded by the fact that more than half of all students doing remedial work at Gavilan cannot pass the classes with a grade of C- or higher, according to the college's own statistics. Further, these students are not English-language learners, who statistically tend to score lower. English is the first language of these students.

Pat Midtgaard, president of Gilroy Unified School District's board of trustees,
gasped when she heard that less than 1 percent of GHS students going to Gavilan were ready for college-level math.

"I didn't think that the math would be that bad, and I'm very surprised at the level of English, too," she said. "I think I'm even more surprised because these students have always spoken, read and heard English. It is alarming."

That's approximately one person out of 160 applicants and 160 is a good estimate for an entering class. That means 0.62% is likely one person.

The entering class for our local Junior College didn't get a HS math education.

The CSU system's policy refuses to offer long term remedial classes and UC actively screens out college motivated non-performers to a Jr. College. Gavilan is obviously getting those who can't get into UC or stick in CSU schools like CSUMB and SJSU. Still, I fear that's too optimistic an explanation.

Jr. College is also a low cost spring board into CSU so there should be a nontrivial fraction of entrants at Gavilan who can perform at college level but don't have the time or money to attend a CSU institution. Think NFL's Jeff Garcia who attended Gavilan to play football before transferring to SJSC. Where are these students?

0.62% is scary low. Maybe this math failure is a matter of screwed up priorities, not disinterest in the local and world events. What is filling their time and lives?

Gavilan College should test pop-culture knowledge.

"Name three American Idol winners?"

I can name three and I hate the show.

If they're learing the wrong things well, it's at least a start but if there are a significant fraction that isn't learning anything... wow.