Less CSUN Freshmen Needing Remedial Classes

The percentage of Cal State Northridge students needing remedial classes declined last fall, reversing several years of increases, according to figures released Tuesday by the CSU chancellor’s office.

Sixty-three percent of freshmen entering CSUN last year were unprepared for college-level math courses, down from 67% in 1997, and 59% needed remedial English--a three percentage point decrease from 1997, according to the figures.

“Even though the changes are small they’re still in the right direction,” said Louanne Kennedy, CSUN’s provost and vice president of academic affairs.

Kennedy said the improved numbers are the result of several aggressive strategies meant to recruit better-prepared high school graduates, and to head off poorly performing students with remedial programs before they arrive at CSUN.

Two years ago CSUN began restricting its application period to November. Although 30 days is the minimum amount of time a Cal State campus can accept applications, most do so for several months. Kennedy said the restricted deadline ensures only the best prepared, most serious students apply to CSUN, and she cited studies indicating that “early deciders” performed better.

The university has also sought to attract more qualified applicants with scholarships and mentoring programs. These efforts target high school students with high grade point averages and Scholastic Aptitude Test scores of 1200--students who just as likely would be admitted into the University of California.

Although there are only 20 students on these so-called Presidential Scholarships, administrators hope to expand the program, which many say adds to CSUN’s prestige.

But the most dramatic efforts to decrease the number of remedial classes involve a series of collaborations between CSUN and the Los Angeles Unified School District.

“For the first time, I’ve been encouraged by all the movement going on in this system and the K-12 schools,” said professor Elena Marchisotto, director of CSUN’s Developmental Math Program. “We seem to be collaborating in new ways. We’ve been involved with outreach and helping the high schools understand what the requirements are for university math summer programs.”

About 300 high school students got a head start on remedial classes last summer and Kennedy said the university will attempt to accommodate 700 next summer.

CSUN is also leading several teacher-training efforts to make good on Chancellor Charles Reed’s pledge to flood California’s public schools with a record number of credentialed teachers. The hope is that CSU-trained teachers will produce better students and enable universities to cut their remediation programs.

Despite CSUN’s slightly improved figures, the university still has much work to do.

Reed has said that by 2007 only 10% of CSU students should need remedial assistance.

REFORM PUSH: CSU system targets high school juniors in reform plan. A3