A survey of 700 schools answers the question.
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In a prior post, we outlined the criteria and method that the American Council of Trustees and Alumni (ACTA) used to assess whether students are learning the “essential skills and knowledge” for work and for life.
In a nutshell, ACTA researchers culled through over 700 schools’ course catalogs and web sites to determine what courses were being offered and, more important, which courses were required of all students.
Specifically, they investigated whether undergraduates are gaining a reasonable college-level introduction in seven core subject areas:
- Composition & argumentation
- Literature and critical thinking
- Foreign language & culture
- U.S. government & history
- Economics: Macro, micro, behavioral
- Mathematics, logic & computer science
- Science & scientific experimentation.
Here’s what they found …
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The ACTA graded the 718 colleges that they reviewed based on the number of the 7 core subject areas they required for graduation via coursework or AP credits.
About 2/3s of the schools required 3,4 or 5 of the ACTA-designated core subject areas.
About 1/3 of the schools required coursework in 2 or fewer of the the ACTA-designated core subject areas.
Only 2% of the schools required course work in 6 or 7 of the ACTA-designated core subject areas.
For a list of the schools currently earning an A grade from ACTA, see What Will They Learn – The “A” List.
The list will surprise you.
No wonder that employers say that 9 of 10 college grads are poorly prepared for work (or real life).
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A proposed solution
Prof. Victor Davis Hanson the Hoover Institution suggests:
The best reform would simply to be to force universities and colleges to offer the same sort of exit exams as the admission exams they insist on for entering students.
In other words, to earn a bachelor’s degree, graduating college seniors would be required to taking a national standardized test to ensure minimal competence in verbal and math skills.
This would certify that the four- to eight-year undergraduate experience has led to at least minimal practical knowledge.
The Common Core requires extensive “outcomes based” testing for elementary and high school students.
Why not apply to same principle to colleges?
Require that students take standardized exit exams covering all 7 of the ACTA-designated areas of study.
Might work…
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November 14, 2019 at 9:53 am |
Indeed, in the 1960s CUNY required the GRE Subject exam for graduation (eg Biology, Physics, Chemistry, there was even one in Engineering – analogous t the high school ACH now SAT2)