Schools' efforts to remediate students were diverse and focused primarily on the skills and content necessary to meet the GQE standard. Teachers and students expressed concerns about the effect of class-size on remediation efforts and the need to tailor remediation programs to individual weaknesses. Although optimal remediation procedures have yet to be defined, schools are employing a variety of instructional strategies. From 1997 to 1998, student growth did occur. The substantial increase in scores of students who took the 1998 retest An Investigation of Indiana High School Remediation Programs suggest that these students have a better mastery of the material than they did in 1997.
Several factors are likely to have contributed to the improvements.
In addition to increased motivation, better alignment of school curricula with the state standards, and student maturation, participation in school sponsored remediation programs are a significant cause of the increase in scores. The results of the investigation are positive and encouraging with regard to both the quality and diversity of the remediation efforts of Indiana's schools, and the improved performance of students participating in these programs.