College Bound: Are High Schools Preparing Students for the Task

The number of college freshmen enrolled in developmental courses is an indicator that many American high school graduates are not adequately prepared for college. Research has indicated that from 30% to 69% of high school graduates who entered college are required to take at least one developmental course. The purpose of this study was to examine the high school experiences of freshmen college students, specifically, the roles their high school teachers, high school guidance counselors, the parents, and they themselves played in preparing them for college. Data were analyzed to explore differences by race (majority v. minority), gender and type of English class (regular v. developmental). The participants were freshmen students enrolled in college developmental English and general English courses at one community college and one four year college. In order to answer the research questions presented in this study, participants completed a 60-item questionnaire. Fifteen items addressed areas that the research questions investigated (i.e. role of high school teachers, guidance counselors, parents, self). The research questions were examined through a series of analysis of variance tests. Results revealed significant differences by race, gender, type of class and interactions between the effects. The data provide the basis for making recommendations to high school administrators and local school boards which, when implemented will better prepare high school students for the academic rigors of college courses.

Name thesis:degree_name

Doctor of Education

Level thesis:degree_level

doctoral

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Educational Leadership and Policy Studies

Department dc:contributor.department

Educational Leadership and Policy Studies

Grantor dc:publisher

Virginia Tech

Year dc:date.issued

2000

Author dc:creator

• Sokol, Gerry Robert

Chairs dc:contributor.committeechair

• Driscoll, Lisa G.
• Hirt, Joan B.

Committee members dc:contributor.committeemember

• Earthman, Glen I.
• Salmon, Richard G.
• Dawson, Christina M.

• High School Preparation
• College Developmental English
• College Remediation

Statement dc:rights

• In Copyright

Licence dc:rights.uri

• http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/

Dc Identifier Other

etd-07012000-14020027

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/28176