Children of color worst hit by failing schools

Anthony Laney completed 13 years in Baltimore public schools with a 4.0 GPA. But the Baltimore native felt insufficiently prepared for the rigors of a four-year college."Some inner city schools don't have the necessary tools to help raise the student's education," he said, confirming Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice's assessment of the state of K-12 education in the United States.

"The state of education, in K-12, in this country is a national security issue," Secretary Rice told a Women's Conference in at the Long Beach Convention Center last month. "Failing American education system has become the most pressing national security issue in this country right now."

Rice added that children of color are worst hit by failing schools.

Laney recognized this handicap and opted to go to Catonsville Community College in Maryland before transferring to Howard University -- when he felt ready.

Catonsville gave Laney tips on how to study, how to prepare for different tests and time management skills.

"These courses are good because they help to bring students to that same level as others with a more solid educational base," Laney told the District Chronicles.

Now a broadcast journalism major at Howard University, Anthony is not the least ashamed of the remedial courses he took at Catonsville.

"It really helped me to gain a strong foundation for university life," the soon-to-be Howard Alum says. "If you really have time to take courses that will help your university career, do it."

Anthony's story is similar to stories of many high school graduates who need remedial courses to get them ready for college. One study shows one-third of Maryland high school students who graduate with a college-prep education still were assigned to remedial college classes. Most students do the remedial classes at a community college.

And the story doesn't stop in Maryland. One-third of all American students have to enroll in remedial classes which cost taxpayers between $2.3 and $2.9 billion a year.

Professor Chester Wright, chair of the English department at the University of the District of Columbia, says these classes are well worth the cost because they work. Part of the billions of dollars for remedial classes goes to placement tests that put students in classes that match their educational level.

"Research indicates the placement tests are a good predictor, because the students move right along," Prof. Wright says. "Those who didn't take the placement test for some reason don't move on as rapidly."

DCPS Chancellor Michelle Rhee recognizes this as a problem, too, and plans to fix it. "This is going to require a number of things but one is to ensure that we are implementing a rigorous curriculum at the high school level and that students are getting the support they need to be effective in the college environment," Chancellor Rhee said.

Rhee plans to implement end of the course exams and to include more rigorous AP courses to better prepare high school students in DC for college.

University of Maryland Chancellor William R. Kirwan also sees a need to address the gulf between secondary and post-secondary education.

"We are seeing an increasing proportion of low-income, first-generation students going to college," Chancellor Kirwan said.

"Unfortunately they tend to come from the lower-performing high schools, and so I think there is an issue about the high school preparation.