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SJRCC Press Release
January 2009
SJRCC asks: Are you college-ready?
College readiness plan offers free test
Are you college-ready? According to local school districts and college testing results, you may not be as ready as you think.
According to St. Johns River Community College officials, a new education reform initiative has been established to help local school districts clarify what it means to be “college-ready.” SJRCC – in cooperation with local high schools - will soon offer a free College Placement Test (CPT) to eligible high school juniors. The goal is to increase the number of high school graduates classified as college-ready and to provide remediation for students who are not.
SJRCC Open Campus Provost Melanie Brown, Ph.D., explained that to be considered college-ready, specific scores in reading, writing and mathematics must be made in order to bypass preparatory classes. “So much emphasis is placed on graduating and passing the FCAT that little attention is focused on the skills needed to enter college and take classes successfully. Passing the FCAT does not necessarily mean that a student is ready for college level courses,” Brown said. “About 60% of high school students statewide who enter community colleges need some type of remediation.”
The initiative comes after the passing of Senate Bill 1908 that requires both secondary and post secondary schools to combine efforts to provide high school juniors better access to testing as well as making remediation available to high school seniors.
Juniors who do not score well on the CPT will have the option of enrolling in high school electives that count as college prep classes during their senior year. “This initiative will help students start their college careers with real college courses and without spending up to an entire year in remedial courses,” Brown said.
Testing begins in February and will be offered at participating high schools during the school’s operating hours. Eligible students should be in the 11th grade and must have scored at levels 2, 3, or 4 on the mathematics portion of the 10th grade FCAT or levels 2 or 3 on the reading portion of the 10th grade FCAT. There is no GPA requirement. The student’s scores on the CPT will be used by the high school to determine whether the student has the math and reading skills required for entrance in college credit classes. Interested students should contact their guidance counselor for a test application as well as test dates.
Return to SJRCC home page.
MEDIA CONTACT:
Susan Kessler
SJRCC Director of Public Relations and Publications
5001 St. Johns Avenue
Palatka, FL 32177
(386) 312-4020
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