Nearly three-fourths of college-bound graduates of Oregon high schools are unprepared for college, primarily because of weaknesses in math and science, a report out today warns.



The report is based on the ACT test scores of nearly 12,000 students, or 35 percent, from Oregon's high school class of 2011.



Results indicate that college-readiness levels are stagnant among the state's college-bound students. That's true despite a proliferation of high school calculus courses and the state's recent drive to offer more Advanced Placement math and science.



Fully half of the Oregon students who took the national college-entrance exam are unprepared to pass freshman college math, and two-thirds are unprepared for college science, ACT Inc., nonprofit maker of the ACT test, reported.



That's a problem for students and the state, educators say.



Beginning with this fall's sophomore class, Oregon students have to show they have strong math skills to earn a high school diploma. What's more, college students who earn degrees in science, health, engineering or math fields help propel the Oregon economy and earn a lot more money during their careers than the typical humanities major.





Oregon's academic plateau contrasts with ACT results for the nation's high schools overall. They have registered four years of slow but steady improvements.

"Underpreparation in math is clearly the current situation" for many or even most Oregon high school graduates arriving at the University of Oregon, Oregon State, Portland State and other public universities, said

. "If our students aren't proficient enough in math to even take the first (math) class in their major, we know we have a major challenge on our hands."

The study suggests that taking three years of high school math -- geometry and two levels of algebra, enough to meet most colleges' entrance requirements -- isn't enough to put many Oregon students on track to earn a C or better in freshman algebra.

Even among those who took that much or more high school math, only 55 percent did well enough on the ACT's math section to signal they are ready for college math, the report said.

said that phenomenon -- students taking and passing high school math classes but ending up without the necessary math skills -- shows the importance of requiring students to pass the state math test or otherwise demonstrate their math skills to get a diploma beginning with the class of 2014.

"It's not enough to just (take) these core courses," she said. Schools "have to be able to help kids apply that knowledge at a rigorous level. Those are the kind of skills we want and know will help them be more successful as they move onto their next steps."

Every student who plans to earn a bachelor's of science from an Oregon public university -- not just engineers and math majors but also business majors, many social science majors and those planning health-related careers -- must pass college math to earn a degree, Holliday said.

He said university officials have been shocked and dismayed to learn that many aspiring engineers and others seeking technically oriented majors arrive at college with huge skill deficits. Such students are supposed to take calculus their freshman year, but many or even most on some campuses need remedial work first, he said.

"We don't have, yet, the best communication between the levels," Holliday said. "A student can do well in high school math and still not be ready for college math."

Some question whether a single ACT score can foretell whether a student will pass college courses.

Showing up, paying attention and trying hard help explain who passes and who fails in college, said Ed Colby, senior communications associate at ACT Inc.

But ACT officials have tracked hundreds of thousands of students to see how they do in freshman college English, algebra and biology -- the most common core courses for freshmen -- then tracked back to see how well they scored on the ACT.

Statistically, a student needs to reach the "college-ready" level on the test to have a 50 percent chance of earning at least a B in the freshman college course and a 75 percent chance of earning a C, the minimum grade most colleges allow for credit toward a major, Colby said.

"Motivation, enthusiasm and commitment certainly have a big impact" on how well students perform as freshman, Colby said. "But academic readiness is a huge critical factor."

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