One-Quarter of High School Students Enter College Unprepared

A report out this week finds nearly a quarter of Hoosier high school graduates were not ready for college. That’s an improvement from past years, but the state Commission for Higher Education says there is still too many students taking remedial classes at college.

The annual Indiana College Readiness report is a trove of data on students’ transition from high school to college. For example, more than a third of 2013 high school graduates don’t go on to college – 60 percent of students who graduated with a Core 40 diploma did. The largest group of college bound students is the 92 percent of those who earned a Honors diploma.

Yet while nearly the same number of students earning those two degrees enter Indiana’s colleges, more than a third of students with Core 40 diploma require remedial classes in English and math.

“There’s a disconnect there between thinking you have taken what you needed to,” says Teresa Lubbers, Indiana’s higher education commissioner. “There is no one simple answer to that but the compelling evidence is that when they are not prepared they are not very likely to complete once they get there.”

Lubbers says colleges and high schools are working closer together to narrow these types of gaps. She adds that Indiana’s new K-12 academic standards and a review of high school diplomas will help.

Here's some 2013 stats from area school districts: 

• Carmel Clay: 85% of graduates enrolled in college, of those 9% needed remediation.
• Hamilton Southeastern: 84% of graduates enrolled in college, of those 12% needed remediation. 
• Washington Township: 73% of graduates enrolled in college, of those 23% needed remediation.
• Lawrence Township: 67% of graduates enrolled in college, of those 36% needed remediation
• Pike Township: 69% of graduates enrolled in college, of those 39% needed remediation.
• Warren Township: 58% of graduates enrolled in college, of those 37% needed remediation.
• Wayne Township: 56% of graduates enrolled in college, of those 37% needed remediation.
• Decatur Township: 56% of graduates enrolled in college, of those 32% needed remediation.
• Indianapolis Public Schools: 52% of graduates enrolled in college, of those 48% needed remediation.

You can read the College Readiness reports here. Data is broken down by state, school, corporation and county levels.

Contact Weddle at eweddle@wfyi.org or call (317) 614-0470. Follow on Twitter: @ericweddle.