Translation: Diluting the prestige of the cal stage degree
Cal State will no longer require math and English placement exams
71–80 of 278 posts
Re: Cal State will no longer require math and English placement exams
#72The hope is that these efforts will also help students obtain their degrees sooner — one of the public university system's priorities. Cal State has committed to doubling its four-year graduation rate, from 19% to 40%, by 2025. The implicit message here seems to be, "let everyone pass through the system regardless of how qualified they actually are, but we'll have to lower the bar to keep grades and graduation rates…
Nowhere in the article was it even suggested that graduation standards would change; given only 19% of students graduate within 4 years, the system is clearly willing to hold the line on graduation standards. Instead, it's discussed at length how to help those students require remedial work to get through in 4 rather than 5 years.
Re: Cal State will no longer require math and English placement exams
#73Earlier quoted context omitted.
Are you insinuating white people don't need remedial classes?
Of course all kinds of people can land in these remedial classes if they are not prepared. Now, I ask you, which schools do a better job of preparing students for college level work, the schools white kids get to go to or the schools black kids have to go to? If you are wondering, look at the AP classes offered at say Palo Alto high school vs Crenshaw high school: http://schools.latimes.com/school/los-angeles/crensha…
Palo Alto Avg. Income: $126,771
Inglewood Avg. Income: $43,394
Wouldn't it make sense to compare like-to-like, and choose two schools in areas with similar incomes?
Re: Cal State will no longer require math and English placement exams
#74"At Cal State, about 40% of freshmen each year are considered not ready for college-level work and required to take remedial classes that do not count toward their degrees." This is crazy to me. I'm not familiar with Cal State but do they just let anyone in who applies?
> I'm not familiar with Cal State but do they just let anyone in who applies? No, Cal State is the 2nd of three public college tiers defined by California law. (Top is the UC system, bottom is the community college system, which will indeed let in anyone who applies.) CSUs, except for Cal Poly SLO, admit on a quota-by-major system, scoring all applicants objectively and taking the top $quota who applied in each major…
While interesting, being of college age and living in the area, SFSU impaction makes sense. CS majors are generally more serious about their education and major choice and also know that SFSU is a poor choice for a CS degree. Meanwhile, I know many people that, getting into their 20s, go "I wanna live the city life!", and quickly pick a major with SFSU being an easy admission.
Re: Cal State will no longer require math and English placement exams
#75Re: Cal State will no longer require math and English placement exams
#76Earlier quoted context omitted.
Cal State LA Accept rate: 68% UCLA Accept Rate: 18%
uhh.. this is a really messed up comparison considering UCLA is the most applied to college in the world.
> UCLA is the most applied to college in the world.
That's just your opinion really.
It is a good school. Most applied in the world doesn't mean anything. A trade school could be more applied than UCLA.
But UCLA does have Alan Kay, creator of smalltalk, and Terrance Tao one of the most famous mathematician. Also their med school is nice.
Re: Cal State will no longer require math and English placement exams
#77College is really the new high school...
And this hurts the people they're trying to help. If you devalue highschool to the point you need another 4 years to prove you have the basics, anyone who's doesn't the privileged to wait that extra 4 years is that much more screwed.
Perhaps devaluation explains the trend towards requiring ever-higher degrees (Masters and PhD) in jobs that once were satisfied with a Bachelors.
Re: Cal State will no longer require math and English placement exams
#78If you live on the West Coast and want your children to be able to read Hacker News, then you better send them to a private school.
> If you live on the West Coast and want your children to be able to read Hacker News, then you better send them to a private school.
You know University of Phoenix is a private school right? It's just run for profit. (edit: also Trump University is a private school)
The difference between private school and public is if it's state run.
So you're basically saying Cal, UCLA, UCSF, and other good public school aren't able to read Hacker News...
Re: Cal State will no longer require math and English placement exams
#79The hope is that these efforts will also help students obtain their degrees sooner — one of the public university system's priorities. Cal State has committed to doubling its four-year graduation rate, from 19% to 40%, by 2025. The implicit message here seems to be, "let everyone pass through the system regardless of how qualified they actually are, but we'll have to lower the bar to keep grades and graduation rates…
Nowhere in the article was it even suggested that graduation standards would change; given only 19% of students graduate within 4 years, the system is clearly willing to hold the line on graduation standards. Instead, it's discussed at length how to help those students require remedial work to get through in 4 rather than 5 years.
Yes, and more specifically they are hoping to (a) reduce the number of students forced to take remedial classes when they actually were prepared for regular classes and (b) increase the sense of belonging and progress in students who do need remedial work by allowing them to take regular for-credit classes alongside any remedial work. There's no reason a student can't take French 101 just because they aren't up to speed on their math yet, and the current system that prevents them from doing so directly causes increased frustration and dropping out because of the wasted time.
Re: Cal State will no longer require math and English placement exams
#80Heinlein, Friday When it was noted that Californians with college degrees earned more than those with high school diplomas alone, the California voters passed a law granting all citizens a bachelor’s degree upon graduation from high school.
That sounds awfully close to Idiocracy. Next up, law degrees from Costco.