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Remediation as a Civil Rights Issue in the California State University System
Remediation as a Civil Rights Issue in the California State University System
Kimberly R. KingSteve Teixeira
Suzanne McElvoyCalifornia State University, Los
Angeles
What is Remediation in College?
What is Remediation in College? Coursework designed to develop college-level
skills in math and English
Many educators prefer the term “developmental education”
Incoming CSU students determined to need remediation by scores on English and Math Placement Tests
Provided by qualified faculty and staff.
Coursework designed to develop college-level skills in math and English
Many educators prefer the term “developmental education”
Incoming CSU students determined to need remediation by scores on English and Math Placement Tests
Provided by qualified faculty and staff.
“a remedy intended to restore opportunity to those who otherwise may be relegated to meager wages, poor working conditions, and other consequences of socioeconomic marginalization.”- Bahr (2008), Center for the Study of Higher and Postsecondary Education at the University of Michigan
Remediation as a Social Justice Remedy
E.O. 1048Chancellor Reed Established a Mandatory
Early Start Program (MESP)Students “not proficient” are required to begin
remediation prior to enrolling as freshmen at a CSU
If they don’t, they will not be permitted to enroll in the Fall Exceptions for “extraordinary circumstances”
The Context: CSU Budget Crisis$1 billion cut since 2002 $500 million more
cut in Governor Brown's 2011 proposalStudent fees have skyrocketed 242% since
2002In 2008, Chancellor announced planned
enrollment cuts of at least 40,000 CSU-eligible students; 2011 plans to cut 10,000 more
One way to cut enrollment and “improve” graduation rates and is to push out students who may need longer to master course material
The Merit Myth: Cut the “Undeserving”The Reality: “Remedial” Students did not Fail to Prepare for CSU
Remedial students are the majority of all CSU first-year entrants who meet all eligibility requirements (58%) - over 30,000 students
At some CSUs, they are 75-93% of 1st-time freshmen
Their average H.S. GPAs are above 3.0CA Public k-12 spending/student is 47th
in Nation Some government leaders are failing, not our
students!
CSU already has successful remediation programs – 80% remediate by the end of their first year
CSU already has EO 665 (students must remediate by end of 1st year)
Unfair to Students “Mandatory” - Forces some students to participate in extra
requirement, though they are fully qualified for CSU admission
Isn’t this a new Admissions Requirement??
Penalizes students who have already been cheated by education system
Civil Rights issue - has more impact on students of color and poorest students
Problems with Mandatory Early Start
UCLA CIVIL Rights ProjectUCLA CIVIL Rights ProjectResearchResearch Question:
Do remediation policies and practices in the CSU have a disparate effect on students of color and students from low-income communities, unfairly reducing their educational access and retention, thus constituting a civil rights issue?
Remediation Need is Higher for Underrepresented Students
Higher among women, students of color, low-income students of all colors
Higher at CSU campuses serving: more African American & Mexican
American students but number of White remedial students is large
(2nd to # of Mexican American students in CSU)
more low-income students (i.e., Pell recipients)
Student Ethnicity % Needing
RemediationAfrican American 83.2% Mexican American 73.6%Asian American 59.9%European American 39.0%
All Freshmen 58.0%
Ethnic % Freshmen 2009High Remediation Need Af Mex EuroDominguez HillsLos AngelesSan Bernardino
Low Remediation NeedSan Luis ObispoSan DiegoHumboldt
25% 43% 3% 7 49 49 48 15
0.6 8 644 27 363 17 55
Remedial Students more often Attended High Needs High Schools
High Schools with:More poverty More African American + Latino studentsMore English Language learnersFewer fully credentialed teachersLower API rank (Academic Performance
Index)
High-Needs K-12 schools and their teachers and students face inadequate funding and greater challenges
Punitive Policies Unfairly Applied?E0 665 and DisenrollmentThe higher the remedial need on a campus, the
higher the rate of disenrollment of remedial students
The higher the proportion of African American and Mexican American freshmen and the lower the proportion of White students, the higher the rate of disenrollment
CSU has refused to release data on ethnicity or gender, or on remediation rates for Special Admits of disenrolled students--> Why? What does the CSU Administration have to hide?
Problems with Early Start Erects new barriers to college attendance for
underrepresented students
Punishes students for California’s maintenance of race and class inequality in K-12 schools
Tries to balance the budget & “increase grad rates” by decreasing access to the state’s poorest and brownest young people
Student loss of summer employment salary
Higher student fees if extended education summer school
Puts extreme burden on CSU campuses serving poorest and most ethnic minority students
ConclusionCSU’s New Mandatory Early Start Program will disproportionately impact students of color, low-income students, and women because their remediation rate s are higher than other students
University LevelCSU should provide clear data on disenrollment
by ethnicity, gender, and special admit statusRather than replace a successful program that
is effective for over 80% of students, CSU could consider an “Early Warning” program for students who don’t pass their first remedial course in Fall quarter to increase retention and prevent disenrollment.
CSU should convene conference to address campus disparities in remediation, proficiency and disenrollment rates and examine best practices
University LevelCSU should provide supplemental funding
to high remediation need CSUs The CSU Chancellor and Board of
Trustees need to use their influence to organize and lobby for full funding for the CSU
In the meantime, don’t balance the budget by perpetuating inequality by decreasing access to the state’s poorest and brownest young people