Remediation as a Civil Rights Issue in the California State University System

Remediation as a Civil Rights Issue in the California State University System

Kimberly R. KingSteve Teixeira

Suzanne McElvoyCalifornia State University, Los

Angeles

What is Remediation in College?

What is Remediation in College? Coursework designed to develop college-level

skills in math and English

Many educators prefer the term “developmental education”

Incoming CSU students determined to need remediation by scores on English and Math Placement Tests

Provided by qualified faculty and staff.

Coursework designed to develop college-level skills in math and English

Many educators prefer the term “developmental education”

Incoming CSU students determined to need remediation by scores on English and Math Placement Tests

Provided by qualified faculty and staff.

“a remedy intended to restore opportunity to those who otherwise may be relegated to meager wages, poor working conditions, and other consequences of socioeconomic marginalization.”- Bahr (2008), Center for the Study of Higher and Postsecondary Education at the University of Michigan

Remediation as a Social Justice Remedy

E.O. 1048Chancellor Reed Established a Mandatory

Early Start Program (MESP)Students “not proficient” are required to begin

remediation prior to enrolling as freshmen at a CSU

If they don’t, they will not be permitted to enroll in the Fall Exceptions for “extraordinary circumstances”

The Context: CSU Budget Crisis$1 billion cut since 2002 $500 million more

cut in Governor Brown's 2011 proposalStudent fees have skyrocketed 242% since

2002In 2008, Chancellor announced planned

enrollment cuts of at least 40,000 CSU-eligible students; 2011 plans to cut 10,000 more

One way to cut enrollment and “improve” graduation rates and is to push out students who may need longer to master course material

The Merit Myth: Cut the “Undeserving”The Reality: “Remedial” Students did not Fail to Prepare for CSU

Remedial students are the majority of all CSU first-year entrants who meet all eligibility requirements (58%) - over 30,000 students

At some CSUs, they are 75-93% of 1st-time freshmen

Their average H.S. GPAs are above 3.0CA Public k-12 spending/student is 47th

in Nation Some government leaders are failing, not our

students!

CSU already has successful remediation programs – 80% remediate by the end of their first year

CSU already has EO 665 (students must remediate by end of 1st year)

Unfair to Students “Mandatory” - Forces some students to participate in extra

requirement, though they are fully qualified for CSU admission

Isn’t this a new Admissions Requirement??

Penalizes students who have already been cheated by education system

Civil Rights issue - has more impact on students of color and poorest students

Problems with Mandatory Early Start

UCLA CIVIL Rights ProjectUCLA CIVIL Rights ProjectResearchResearch Question:

Do remediation policies and practices in the CSU have a disparate effect on students of color and students from low-income communities, unfairly reducing their educational access and retention, thus constituting a civil rights issue?

Remediation Need is Higher for Underrepresented Students

Higher among women, students of color, low-income students of all colors

Higher at CSU campuses serving: more African American & Mexican

American students but number of White remedial students is large

(2nd to # of Mexican American students in CSU)

more low-income students (i.e., Pell recipients)

 Student Ethnicity % Needing

RemediationAfrican American 83.2% Mexican American 73.6%Asian American 59.9%European American 39.0%

All Freshmen 58.0%

Ethnic % Freshmen 2009High Remediation Need Af Mex EuroDominguez HillsLos AngelesSan Bernardino

Low Remediation NeedSan Luis ObispoSan DiegoHumboldt

25% 43% 3% 7 49 49 48 15

0.6 8 644 27 363 17 55

Remedial Students more often Attended High Needs High Schools

High Schools with:More poverty More African American + Latino studentsMore English Language learnersFewer fully credentialed teachersLower API rank (Academic Performance

Index)

High-Needs K-12 schools and their teachers and students face inadequate funding and greater challenges

Punitive Policies Unfairly Applied?E0 665 and DisenrollmentThe higher the remedial need on a campus, the

higher the rate of disenrollment of remedial students

The higher the proportion of African American and Mexican American freshmen and the lower the proportion of White students, the higher the rate of disenrollment

CSU has refused to release data on ethnicity or gender, or on remediation rates for Special Admits of disenrolled students--> Why? What does the CSU Administration have to hide?

Problems with Early Start Erects new barriers to college attendance for

underrepresented students

Punishes students for California’s maintenance of race and class inequality in K-12 schools

Tries to balance the budget & “increase grad rates” by decreasing access to the state’s poorest and brownest young people

Student loss of summer employment salary

Higher student fees if extended education summer school

Puts extreme burden on CSU campuses serving poorest and most ethnic minority students

ConclusionCSU’s New Mandatory Early Start Program will disproportionately impact students of color, low-income students, and women because their remediation rate s are higher than other students

University LevelCSU should provide clear data on disenrollment

by ethnicity, gender, and special admit statusRather than replace a successful program that

is effective for over 80% of students, CSU could consider an “Early Warning” program for students who don’t pass their first remedial course in Fall quarter to increase retention and prevent disenrollment.

CSU should convene conference to address campus disparities in remediation, proficiency and disenrollment rates and examine best practices

University LevelCSU should provide supplemental funding

to high remediation need CSUs The CSU Chancellor and Board of

Trustees need to use their influence to organize and lobby for full funding for the CSU

In the meantime, don’t balance the budget by perpetuating inequality by decreasing access to the state’s poorest and brownest young people