What Influences Students' Need for Remediation in College? Evidence from California.

REMEDIAL teaching; CURRICULUM; POSTSECONDARY education; LOW-income students; TEACHER effectiveness; NO Child Left Behind Act of 2001; DEMOGRAPHIC characteristics; HIGHER education of minorities; CALIFORNIA State University; UNIVERSITIES & colleges

CALIFORNIA; UNITED States

The article examines the factors involved in the need for remedial education in postsecondary schooling in the California State University (CSU) system. The article focuses upon the preponderance of low-income college students in remedial courses, the racial composition of secondary schools in college preparation, and the influence of the academic preparation of teachers as it relates to requirements in the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) of 2001 and enrollment in remedial courses. The author concludes that the academic credentials of secondary school teachers has a significant impact on remediation rates of college-bound students, specifically that reducing the reliance on emergency teaching credentials and waivers decreases the need for remediation in English and mathematics.