A, B, C...Not As Easy As 1, 2, 3: Are College-Bound Students Prepared?

Students that go to college â€Å"to get a good job† and those â€Å"optimistic, high achieving, civic minded that hold the promise of true greatness† according to American historian and Yale graduate Neil Howe, along with his American author and Harvard graduate William Strauss, are in for quite the reality check upon arriving to college and finding that they are ill-prepared for the curriculum established at a university. The educational system in the United States has seen many changes over its history as a country, and most recently, alarming news of the US slipping greatly behind in the Global Education Race and the College Board changing college admission standards have drastically changed the face of higher education (Snider, Global Education Race). As it is, students already struggle tremendously to adjust to the overwhelming new aspects of a college life. With little preparation, these events only worsen the minimum forms of preparation offered. Many schools co ntinue to struggle to adequately arm their students with the necessary tools needed in college. In addition, George Bush’s â€Å"No Child Left Behind Act† of 2001 has been a turning point in the history of America’s Education. The placement and expectation of all students on the same level has been argued a negative one. It is clear that the repercussions of events in history have altered the environment of contemporary education of high school students aspiring to continue onto higher education. The problem of declining University retention rates and of Americans attaining a collegiate degree can be seen as a failure of the lack of academic preparation, largely due to state standardized testing and curriculum deficiencies. This failure was a result of several important events; th... ...n. â€Å"In Global Education Race, US Falls Behind.† The Hechinger Report; Huffington Internet Newspaper. October 2011. 12, May 2012 Kirst, Michael., Aguilar, Antonio., and Bueschel, Abraham. Improving Transition From High School To Postsecondary Education. Policy Analysis California Education. Berkely, California. Lotkowski, VA., Robbins, SB., and Noeth, RJ. The Role of Nonacademic Factors in College Readiness and Success. Downloaded from ACT Website. 6 May 2012. Ulluci, Kerri and Spencer, Joi. â€Å"Unravelling the Myths Of Accountability: A Case Study of the California High School Exit Exam.† Urban Review. 41.2 (2009): pages 161-173. Academic Search Complete. Web. 16 May 2012 United States. Dept. of Education. National Commission on Excellence in Education. A Nation at Risk: The Imperative for Educational Reform. Washington: GPO, 1983. Print.