Growing numbers of students are graduating from public high schools in New York City, but the percentage of those who are considered “college ready” remains relatively low, according to a report released last week.
While roughly 90 percent of New York City students who graduated in 2008 had completed four or more college-preparatory courses in English, only 19 percent had done the same in mathematics, the report said. The City University of New York recommends that students complete four years of mathematics in order to be prepared for postsecondary work.
The study examines several measures of college readiness among recent graduates of New York City’s high schools, including SAT scores and performance on state regents exams. It also concludes that New York City lacks an “intentionally organized set of policies, organizational structures, and supports designed to ensure that as many young people as possible successfully make the transition from high school to college and go on to earn a postsecondary credential.”
John Garvey, the former dean of the Teacher Academy and Collaborative Programs at CUNY, wrote the report in collaboration with researchers at the Annenberg Institute for School Reform, based at Brown University, in Providence, R.I.