SK> ->   And most of the class day between 10th and 12th grade isn't 
SK> spent
SK> -> on
SK> -> any subject that is necessary to succeed in college.  Even if a
SK> -> college freshman never took American History, 11th grade 
SK> literature,
SK> -> chemistry, or biology, he can do fine in college if he can hack 
SK> the
SK> -> math and has basic literacy skills normally taught in elementary 
SK> and
SK> -> junior high.
SK> 
SK> This is so far out of touch with reality I can't even respond to it.
SK> Just because YOU don't recognize the academic growth that a student 
SK> goes
SK> through in 11th and 12th grades in history or other subject area 
SK> classes
SK> doesn't mean that it's not occuring. I see it happen every year.
    I've seen many kids flunk out of college due to inadequate math or 
literacy skills...but I've seen few flunk out of college because they didn't 
learn American History!
    Freshman-level math courses are typically "bottleneck" courses where most 
of those who will flunk out first run into problems.  In most colleges, 
students not majoring in math are advised into taking one particular such 
course...which is where ill-prepared students first run into real problems in 
college.  The inadequately-prepared student doesn't tend to run into problems 
in college history because he didn't learn history in K-12, but instead 
because of a lack of _literacy_ skills.  But in math, knowing how to read 
that freshman math book won't get you an "A" like it will in college history!
SK> Students get a chance to exercise their minds, use communication 
SK> skills
SK> (both written and verbal/aural) and practice research and other study
SK> skills in ALL their subject area classes. These contribute together 
SK> to
SK> make a mature student ready to handle higher level academic studies.
    Surely you don't contend that getting an "A" in phys. ed. makes a kid 
"ready to handle higher level academic studies"?  
--- Simplex BBS (v1.07.00Beta [DOS])
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