Recently released reports on college readiness announced that a significantly large number of high school graduates lack the skills to succeed in college. The American College Testing Program, (ACT), found only half of the nearly 1.2 million 2005 graduating ACT test takers have adequate college-level reading comprehension skills, and a majority of high school graduates lack college-ready math and science skills.

This may sound as if the high schools are failing to adequately prepare students; but in fact, some experts are suggesting that considerable college readiness learning needs to take place at the middle school level. The U.S. Department of Education, the National Association for College Admission Counseling, and the National Association of Secondary School Principals recommend students begin planning for college as early as the sixth grade.

As part of their admissions criterion, colleges are looking at a student’s high school career to determine if it encompasses comprehensive study in key academic disciplines – four years of English, three years of math - algebra I, algebra II, and geometry, three years of science, including biology, chemistry, and physics, three years of social studies, and two years of foreign language. A challenging middle school curriculum leads to better preparation for the prescribed comprehensive high school program.

Richard L. Ferguson, ACT chief executive officer, has a clear message regarding how to graduate college-ready students. Warning that a number of students arrive at high school without the foundational skills to take challenging courses, Ferguson says “We need to identify students at much earlier grades - eighth grade and earlier and make sure they have a solid foundation of basic knowledge and skills needed for rigorous high school level courses.”

Parental oversight of a student’s scholastic endeavors is vital to ensure your child is ready for their college career. What you can do to help your child succeed in college:

1. Early planning helps your child select middle and high school courses that prepare them for college. Ask your school to explain how their curriculum strategy develops college-ready graduates.
2. Monitor your child’s course selection; a challenging curriculum helps students to stay focused, build academic skills, and develop strong study habits. Rigorous middle school course selections allow students to take higher-level courses once in high school.
3. Once in high school, monitor your child’s core curriculum selection to ensure it includes recommended courses for college bound students: four years of English, including one year of composition and three years each of math (algebra I & II, and geometry; trigonometry and pre-calculus, if possible), science (biology, chemistry, and physics), and social studies, and a minimum of two years of foreign language, three years if possible.

October 2005