The mathematics label is a misnomer since the students are being tested to determine if they are ready for college level algebra. The six hours of college level mathematics required for college graduation in Florida is one of the highest graduation requirements in mathematics in the nation. While high schools are moving toward preparing more and more students for college, until all students who enroll in college take Algebra I, geometry and Algebra II in high school, there will be a need for College Preparatory mathematics. While the exact percentages vary by term and year, slightly over one-third of an entering community college class will be college ready, another third will need only one area of remediation, and the final third will need College Preparatory courses in two or more areas. The SBCC is very interested in how well the students who need College Prep are doing in their courses and how many are able to complete the highest level course in each area.
Students completing the highest level courses are then ready to enroll in college level courses.
Mathematics continues to be the most difficult area for students. Once students have completed their College Prep requirements, the next step is to enroll in college level courses, particularly those related to communication and computation. In-house tracking of students needing College Prep indicate that once a student has completed the necessary prep and enrolled in college level courses, they are at least as successful as those students who were ready when they initially enrolled. In fact, if they have completed mathematics, they are more successful. The SBCC recognizes that the need for College Preparatory courses is part of the reality of today, but that we should be working with the K-12 sector to ensure that need is kept to a minimum.