Working to close the education gap

I applaud the Utah State Board of Education for considering increasing minimum requirements for high school graduation. Many high school students (and their parents) believe that completing the basic required courses for high school graduation prepares them for college. This is a misconception.

In some of Utah's largest colleges, more than half of the entering freshmen take one or more remedial courses, especially math courses. We have a significant college "underpreparedness" problem in Utah, in part because we believe in the "myth" that if we complete the minimum graduation requirements for high school, we'll be ready for college.

This myth encourages some high school students to "coast" during their senior year. This myth has led even college-bound seniors to decline taking necessary math and science courses, since they are not required to do so. The myth may also contribute to the high number of college freshmen who end up taking remedial courses in college.

I also applaud the Utah State Board of Regents for introducing a new Regents Scholar Award. Students who graduate from high school having successfully completed four math, four English, three science and three social science courses will receive the new award. The Regents Scholar Award will offer automatic admission to Utah's public colleges and universities. If funding becomes available, it may offer some cash in the future. This "4-4-3-3" curriculum will better prepare students to succeed in the courses they'll encounter in college.

In 2005, the United States graduated 70,000 engineers compared to 350,000 in India and 600,000 in China. We see similar trends in science, technology and mathematics. Turning this trend around is critical to our competitiveness in the tech-savvy world of the 21st century. For this reason, Congress has just authorized a new financial grant program for college students who succeed in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

Regardless of whether you want to be an engineer or an artist, almost all college and university programs will require you to pass basic math and science courses. Unfortunately, there is currently a significant gap between the exit requirements of high school and the entry requirements of college. It's a shame that so many students (and parents) do not realize this until they find themselves in remedial courses during their first year of college.

Congratulations to the Board of Education and the regents for working toward closing the gap.

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Bradley A. Winn is provost and vice president for Academic Affairs at Snow College.