Investigating the Alignment of High School and Community College Assessments in California

The following is an interesting report. In order to wet your appetite I will copy and paste some portions of it here. If you want to read more click here

The National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education undertook a study to determine the de facto standards, or the knowledge and skills required to successfully enroll in college-level classes at California community colleges. While California community colleges are open to all students eligible and able to benefit, most students must demonstrate that they are ready for college-level academic work by passing the college’s placement exam once they enroll. Because California does not explicitly define college readiness standards for high school students, the placement exams function as the de facto entry-level standards for higher education. The community colleges have academic standards; high schools, teachers, students, and parents have just not been clearly informed of them.
Based on their performance on the placement tests, the vast majority of students enrolling in a community college need remedial coursework in math and nearly half of them need it in English.

Is this report arguing for closing down open access or is it arguing for something else?

As a result of the open access policy in place at community colleges in California, not all of the students who enroll are prepared for the academic rigors of college-level work. A recent study from the Institute for Higher Education Leadership & Policy concludes that the open access policies of California’s community colleges have succeeded in enhancing enrollments, but have had the unintended consequence of inhibiting college completion (Shulock & Moore, 2007). They argue that since only one in four degreeseeking community college students actually earns a certificate or degree, transfers to a four-year university, or achieves some combination of those outcomes within six years of enrolling in a community college, policies should be changed to encourage better educational outcomes rather than simply focusing on allowing students to enroll.

If we disillusion students and parents that a high school diploma does not equal college level skills, what will happen to our enrollment? Will the K-12 system challenge our assessments? Will we lose an important collaborator in pursuit of funding?