The percentage of Alabama public high school graduates who need to take remedial courses is a number that’s proving tough for education officials to budge.
Students must not only graduate, they must graduate college and career ready. This is the quality gold standard that I'm expecting from instructional leaders across my State Board District. I'm proud to say we are doing just that in most areas.
- Mary Scott Hunter
AL BOE Representative - District 8
The Alabama Commission on Higher Education (ACHE) produces measures every year of how many of Alabama’s high school graduates attending Alabama’s public colleges or universities take a remedial math or English class as freshmen. It does not track rates of students attending out-of-state colleges. According to recent Alabama Commission on Higher Education figures, about 23,379 Alabama Public High School graduates enrolled in Alabama Public Higher Education in the fall of 2014. Of that number, 7,514 students are taking remedial English or math courses in Alabama public two-year and four-year colleges and universities. (see figure below)
Both DeKalb and Jackson County are slightly improving. The number of students requiring remedial Math and/or English in Fall 2014 compared to Fall 2013, decreased by 3% in DeKalb and 5% in Jackson.
Today, superintendents and principals must be "instructional leaders." Instructional leaders know how to lead and are also deep and rich in their knowledge and understanding of how students learn. Instructional leaders create an achievement culture in their systems and schools. The set high standards, promote innovation, use data to improve instruction, and support teachers with constant professional development.
If we do what we need go do from the time a student enters kindergarten to the time they graduate, most students will be ready for college work without the need for remediation or will be ready to enter the workforce directly.
- Mary Scott Hunter
AL BOE Representative - District 8
PLAN 2020 is the strategic plan for education in Alabama. The goal? Preparing all students to be successful in college and/or career upon graduation from high school. A “prepared graduate” is defined in PLAN 2020, and the four priorities listed below establish the foundation of the plan.
Alabama's 2020 Learners.
Alabama's 2020 Support Systems.
Alabama's 2020 Schools/Systems.
Alabama's 2020 Professionals.
Each of the four priorities contain objectives, strategies, and targets/indicators designed to focus all available resources, completely address all critical aspects needed for each component, and make significant measureable progress by the year 2020. Implementation of PLAN 2020 will improve student growth and achievement, close the achievement gap, increase the graduation rate, and increase the number of students graduating high school that are college- and career-ready and prepared to be successful in our global society.
Click HERE for more information on Plan 2020.
