"Regarding
college policy resulting in passing students not attending
classes. None of this is surprising to anyone. These
policies are being carried out throughout higher education systems,
especially those schools whose own endowments are not sufficient to
cover costs. Without a doubt, the federal government and many
private benefactors are being marketed for funding for these
schools. Retention and graduation rates are a key part of this
marketing.
"We recommend the development of
some type of interactive courseware that may be
brought online. A contract vehicle is available that will market
that type of product. This contract vehicle is a minority owned,
women owned, native American owned business, which qualifies for the
highest levels of contract preference you can imagine."
Communications
from "Private Commision on Rural College Practices 2008"
This communication establishes a context for the following
discussion and design constraints. The notion of a "product" has
been given meaning within the supply side econmic and information
markets. If a "product" is to be designed, supply side semantics
has to be adapted to support demand side learning.
The core issue has to do with ownership by the educational insitutions
over the "right" to educate. Home schooling, for example, is
crimally illegal in some states, for example. Two business
contexts exists where this issue of ownership may be accomodated.
The first is the community center franchize to be located near colleges
and universities accross the nation. The second is the National
Bridge Program serving students who are graduating from college
and colleges competing for student enrollments.
Justification for a National Program
National educational policy recognizes the importance of skill
remediation services for entering freshman, particularly in analytic
reasoning, communication skills and common awareness of political and
historic traditions.
“This Panel, diverse in experience,
expertise, and philosophy, agrees broadly that the delivery system in
mathematics education—the system that translates mathematical knowledge
into value and ability for the next generation—is broken and must be
fixed. This is not a conclusion about teachers or school
administrators, or textbooks or universities or any other single
element of the system. It is about how the many parts do not now work
together to achieve a result worthy of this country’s values and
ambitions.” March 2008
The Final Report of the National Mathematics Advisory Panel. [1]
It is in the strategic interest of any institution of higher learning
to develop a complete solution to the remediation crisis. There is a
recognized budgetary need to achieve additional recruitment and
retention. There is also relevance to the mission statement of the
institution. The central question to be answered with a nationally
based program has to do with the capacity to solve what is now a
perceived as an unsolvable problem. The solution comes by
altering the approach made to that problem, and by shifting the notion
of "remediation" to "lifting pedagogy", as discussed in note 12. <*>
In the United States, the capacity of each institution of higher
learning is oriented towards a mission aligned with modernization of
programs, such as a renewed focus on liberal education. Growth
industries like health care, pharmaceutical research, decentralization
technology all require an increased performance at the freshman
level. However, mathematics performance from entering freshmen
presents an unmet challenge. This challenge is to be met with a
comprehensive approach based on experience, system theory and learning
theory.
The strategic interest of each institution of higher learning is
replicated across the American educational system. As a
consequence each is in a position to take a leadership role in a number
of areas. These areas of leadership may be delineated in the CORE
mission statement. This mission statement delineates positive
steps designed to enhance four CORE principles.
1) Celebration of Diversity: Creating increased
diversity within the college and university system
2) Opening Access: Opening of access to all incoming
freshman students to a understanding about the nature of mathematics
3) Relevance: Restoring a sense of relevance by
restructuring curriculum and expectations
4) Excellence: Entering freshman should perceive a
personal opportunity to participate in excellence
Our, proposed, CORE mission statement is to be used in initial fund
raising and program development sufficient to find national recognition
for leadership within the twenty-first century community of colleges
and universities. This program will be developed at one
college or university while extending collaboration to more than one
other institution. The five-year plan is detailed in the last
section of this paper.
Long-term funding-raising will seek traditional support from private
foundations, as well a specific proposal to Congress and the White
House. The final proposal will be advanced as part of a larger
consortium of community colleges, colleges and universities.
[1] The Final Report of the
National Mathematics Advisory Panel
http://www.ed.gov/about/bdscomm/list/mathpanel/report/final-report.pdf