Hudson Valley Pattern for Progress, the think-tank organization, issued a “wakeup call” to public schools in the region to develop different ways of better preparing graduates for college.
In a study released on Monday, the group recommended that districts standardize the definition of a high school diploma, work toward greater alignment with higher education, better align college with student needs; work toward alignment with business and industry, close the readiness gap for all, increase student time on learning, and consider altering school start times.
Pattern President Jonathan Drapkin said the state school districts in New York spend the most on education, but they are not producing the results in terms of student academic accomplishments.
“We would like to think that this is a report on a whole is a massive wakeup call to say not only are things not working and the numbers seem to point it out pretty clearly the way we wish they would, but that it is okay to look at different paths and different ideas,” Drapkin said.
Pattern Vice President for education research Barbara Gref said college and career readiness does not get enough attention. The measurement in its current form has been around for five years, and across the readiness rate among all New York State students has risen only from 37 percent to 28 percent.
“As a former community college instructor, I can tell you what a disservice it is to send students into the world without the skills and knowledge they need,” Gref said.
