How the U. S. Department of Education...
ready for college math, and 38 % were prepared for college-level reading. But in 2015, only 37 % were prepared for college”( Singer, 2016). Although one of the main goals of implementing the Core Curriculum was to prepare students for college-level coursework, many college freshmen continue to enroll in remedial coursework.
If the Common Core is the Department of Education’ s ultimate solution to producing college-bound students, the department fails. Since the implementation of the Common Core in 2009, NAEP has shown that from 2013 to 2015, standardized test scores of 12th-grade students dropped in math and remained stagnant in reading( Singer, 2016). With scores deteriorating in arguable the two most important subjects, it is time to examine if the Common Core is really the best curriculum for all students to follow.
College Enrollment
Another factor that the department analyzes is how many students enroll in college. An April 28, 2016, news release from the United States Department of Labor Statistics states that:“ In October 2015, 69.2 % of 2015 high school graduates were enrolled in colleges or universities”( College Enrollment and Work Activity of 2015 High School Graduates).
However, not all students who start college complete their degrees. They are also taking longer to finish. According to the National Center for Education Statistics( NCES), of full-time students who began bachelor’ s degrees in 2008, 60 % of them graduated in 2014. Often, students take longer to finish because they still require remedial coursework, despite taking more rigorous classes in high school.
Currently, the U. S. is ranked fourth globally for the number of people who hold bachelor degrees, according to an article published in 24 / 7 Wall St.( 2012, Sep. 21). Despite this statistic, the future of our nation is uncertain. Of the students who do graduate from college, not enough earn degrees in math and science-related fields.
A 2009 U. S. Department of Education survey reports on those who hold bachelor’ s degrees in the U. S. In most states those who hold engineering and science-related degrees make-up less than 10 % of degree holders. If these trends persist, the U. S. will continue to be unable to compete in the global market; we will not be able to fill technology, science, or healthcare professions with domestic candidates.
In conclusion, if the U. S. wants to fill more of its jobs with its own candidates, and to compete globally, the Department of Education must rethink its teaching methodologies, as well as to find ways to assist students in completing their college degrees. Although the Department of Education has succeeded in raising the number of graduating high schoolers, many of these students are not prepared for life after high school
Works Cited:
24 / 7 Wall St, The Most Educated Countries in the World,( 2012, Sep. 21): http:// 247wallst. com / special-report / 2012 / 09 / 21 / the-most-educated-countries-in-the-world /
US Department of Education, U. S High School Graduation Rate Hits New Record High: http:// www. ed. gov / news / press-releases / us-high-school-graduation-rate-hits-newrecord-high-0
National Dropout Prevention Center / Network at Clemson University:( http:// dropoutprevention. org / resources / statistics / quick-facts / why-students-drop-out /)
Resmovits, Joy,( 2014, May 7) The Huffington Post,“ American Students Perform Worse As They Reach Higher Grades” http:// www. huffingtonpost. com / 2014 / 05 / 07 / naep-2013- high-school _ n _ 5276767. html
Singer, Alan,( 2016, May 2) The Huffington Post,“ Results are in: Common Fore Fails Tests and Kids”( http:// www. huffingtonpost. com / alan-singer / results-are-in--commonco _ b _ 9819736. html).
United States Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Economic New Release,( 2016, Apr. 28)“ College and Work Activity of 2015 High School Graduates” https:// www. bls. gov / news. release / hsgec. nr0. htm
National Center for Education Statistics: https:// nces. ed. gov / fastfacts / display. asp? id = 40
Siebens, Julie; Ryan, Camille L. United States Census Bureau“ Field of Bachelor’ s Degree in the United States: 2009” American Community Survey Reports https:// www. census. gov / prod / 2012pubs / acs-18. pdf
32 SPRING 2017