Page 333 - Crisis in Higher Education

Revamping Relationships • 303

In addition, too many high school graduates are unprepared for higher
education because they have taken the wrong courses or have taken the
right courses but do not have the necessary depth of knowledge. Two-year
and four-year institutions have responded by offering remedial courses in
mathematics, English, chemistry, and other subjects to fill gaps for high
school graduates. Some institutions of higher learning are requiring place-
ment exams to ensure that students have the proper knowledge and skill
rather than having them take courses that on paper they are qualified to
master but subsequently fail. There are more effective and better ways to
cope with these problems.

14.3.1 Supporting Students Who Drop Out

The National Center for Educational Statistics boasted in 2016 that the
graduation rate for 2013–2014 “for public high schools rose to an all-time
high of 82 percent.” This does not include students who dropped out prior
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to ninth grade, took more than four years to graduate, or earned a GED.
Roughly speaking, one in five students who began high school in the Fall
of 2010 dropped out.
In a society that promises opportunity and seeks substantial economic
growth and prosperity, this performance is not acceptable. Preventing this
problem is overwhelmingly complex; there are big differences of opinion
on what to do; and the solution is beyond the scope of this book. But
it does make sense to discuss alternatives to the GED. There are private
educators like Penn Foster High School and James Madison High School
that provide adults with opportunities to earn their diploma, but they
charge fees for their services. 12,13 There should be public school options
for adults learners.
In most states, public schools are mandated to provide free primary and
secondary education for students until the age of 20 or 21. A few states end
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free schooling at 19 years of age, and a few states end at 22. Many states
offer virtual high school options for their students, which parents can use
to support their efforts at home schooling. States can offer this through
“K-12,” which provides a framework and access. K-12 online schools do
not charge tuition, serve students in kindergarten through 12th grade, use
state-certified or licensed teachers, follow state requirements, and lead to
a high school diploma. 15
It seems reasonable to offer this online learning option to adults who are
U.S. citizens and permanent residents, have dropped out of school, and are