Diploma in hand, they are shocked to learn they still need remediation
That’s because Burry, who studied AP English at her high school, Lankenau Environmental Science Magnet High School, couldn’t pass CCP’s placement test – not in English, not in math.
“I spent a lot of time crying about it,” she said. “Is this really where I’m at? In high school, I passed Algebra I, Algebra II and Geometry with flying colors. I was in AP English and then I found myself here learning all these things all over again. And the math. That was basic math. I shouldn’t have been in that class. That was a disappointment being in that class.
“It hit my self-esteem really hard.”
Luckily for Burry, a business major, her determination outweighed her discouragement and she persisted through remedial classes and is now on track. “I keep my eye on Comcast,” she said.
Many students don’t feel that way and give up. “They come to college for a program that will lead to an associate degree. By putting them into developmental [remedial] courses, we are taking away that hope. We are wasting a semester of their time and their finances–but most importantly, time and hope,” said Samuel Hirsch, vice president for academic and student success.
