A Barren Land
TimeWatch Editorial
March 08, 2016
Bill Hammond, writing in the Star Telegram on September 16, 2015 says “One thing I think we can all agree on is that the college readiness rate of our high school graduates is pitifully low.” Mr. Hammond was referring to the “latest ACT College Readiness Report for Texas shows only 27 percent of our graduates meeting college readiness standards in all of the subjects tested (English, reading, math and science).” The name of the article Bill Hammond wrote was entitled: “Let us be honest about the cost of a watered down education.”
But even though the latest ACT College Readiness Report for Texas shows only 27 percent of graduates meeting college readiness standards in all of the subjects tested, this lapse in ability is common throughout the nation. Mitchell D. Weiss writing on September 23, 2015 in another article entitled: If Most Students Aren’t Ready for College, Why Are So Many Going? Says the following:
“The College Board recently released a report in which it determined that 58% of SAT test-takers in the class of 2015 were not ready for college-level work or, for that matter, a successful post–high school career for those who choose to forgo continuing their institutional education. Higher education is a volume-driven business. So it’s reasonable to assume that as the number of college-ready applicants declines, those schools that are under pressure may choose to respond by relaxing admission standards.” Mitchell D. Weiss, If Most Students Aren’t Ready for College, Why Are So Many Going?
This has been the case for a while. Evaluation after evaluation has revealed the same results and yet there seems to be no reasonable solution.
Listen to By Kelsey Sheehy writing on Aug. 22, 2012:
“Nearly 1.7 million high school graduates took the ACT college entrance exam in 2012, testing their knowledge of four core subjects—English, math, science, and reading. But most of those students are not prepped for success in college or the workforce, according to a report released today by ACT, Inc. More than a quarter of 2012 graduates fell short of college readiness benchmarks that ACT sets for all four subjects, and 60 percent of students tested missed the mark in at least two of the four subjects, the report states.” Kelsey Sheehy, High School Students Not Prepared for College, Career
Instead of an applied solution, the lack of preparedness has bled beyond simple preparation for college. We are now faced with a lowering of, not just the college admission standards, but the lowering of graduation expectations, knowledge levels and professional skills across the board. We claim to be an advancing civilization with expanding knowledge in every area, yet the information and skills are not being passed on to the upcoming generation.
Listen to Scott Jaschik as he writes on January 20, 2015:
“WASHINGTON -- It turns out that college students are being well-prepared for their future careers -- at least in their own minds. Ask employers, and it's a very different picture. The area where students and employers are the closest to being aligned is in staying current with new technologies. When it comes to the types of skills and knowledge that employers feel are most important to workplace success, large majorities of employers do NOT feel that recent college graduates are well prepared. This is particularly the case for applying knowledge and skills in real-world settings, critical thinking skills, and written and oral communication skills — areas in which fewer than three in 10 employers think that recent college graduates are well prepared. Yet even in the areas of ethical decision-making and working with others in teams, many employers do not give graduates high marks," the AACU report says.”Scott Jaschik, Well-Prepared in Their Own Eyes
So here we stand. At a time when we are faced with challenges as yet unseen, we have lost sight of the fundamentals that are so necessary for our success. The tools of character, which would provide the essence and determination to learn and expand our understanding, have not been developed. The fruit of wisdom has not been harvested. The land is glittering with the technological toys of the age, but empty of the healthy product of intelligence.
Cameron A. Bowen
