He plans to press the district for money to employ SAT preparation trainers. Other parents anxious to make up for their children's lack of performance are turning to private reading programs designed to improve comprehension and word attack skills. The Institute of Reading Development has enrolled 10,000 students statewide for this summer's program, a higher number than last year. The English language is more complicated than many other languages and it sometimes is not logical. The 23-campus CSU system is planning higher graduation standards and is phasing out remedial classes.
Administrators forsee a couple years of high remedial rates before the trend starts reversing.
CSUF's Academic Senate is developing general education learning goals that would demand writing assignments in all classes including math and theater arts. CSU has a vested interest in student readiness, since potentially 47 percent of freshman could be denied admission which would cut CSU's financial base. In 1996, the Board of Trustees committed a plan to reduce the need for remedial education from the current 47 percent to 10 percent by the year 2007. Setting clear standards and assessing performance to ensure students meet high school graduation and university admission requirements. Communicating university competence standards and expectations to students, parents and schools.