Troubles for college writers

Below is a list of 20 reasons the RU Ready program found for college writers who struggle and end up taking remedial classes.
When I went to the session, I was hesitant. Some of the figures the program found were startling. At one area college nearly 40 percent of the high school students taking the entrance essay exam were failing and ending up in remedial classes (and research shows 70% of students who take a remedial class never attain a degree). I was afraid the program directors would attribute this to lousy high school teachers. But as the director said, no where is that found on the list. What is found on the list is an eye opener. I found myself nodding over and over again when they read the list. I see a good fourth of these on a daily basis in my classes.

Stumbling into Post-Secondary Remedial Courses:  The Causes
 
1 Today’s high school students have more problems (social, emotional, physiological, financial).
 
2 The “C” has become emotionally and culturally acceptable.  (“Hello, I’m special.”)
 
3 More under-prepared high school students are going to college.
 
4 Extra credit distorts grade and perceptions of writing ability.
 
5 Cheating.
 
6 Over-reliance on editing software.
 
7 Stylistic impact of abbreviated “tech” writing (“acronymese,” text-messaging, and instant messaging).
 
8 Helicopter parents (intrusive)
 
9 Satellite parents (distant)
 
10 Institutional pressure (administrative, extra-curricular, social).
 
11 Student pressure for scholarships, honor roll, and college admissions.
 
12 Reduced auto insurance premiums for B average or above.
 
13 Assessing and rewarding effort over performance.
 
14 Lack of rigor in preferred “cake walk” courses.
 
15 Minimal or under-valued writing across the curriculum.
 
16 Class sizes discourage teachers from assigning “enough” essays.
 
17 Lack of curricular continuity between grade levels.
 
18 State proficiency exam standards do not reflect college readiness standards.
 
19 Lack of clarity and support from post-secondary institutions.
 
20 The profound impact of social classes.

I think #2 (the C is now the new D) is the biggest obstacle I face. In my Advanced Writing class, most of the kids have never had a B. So I asked them about this yesterday. They said most of it was either their own pressure or pressure from their parents or siblings. One student said he would rather drop a class than earn a B. His mother has told me time and again that she puts no pressure on him to earn excellent grades, but rather it's part of his nature. It doesn't help him that he comes from a family of high, high, high achievers. Another student said that they would consider a C a lousy grade, tantamount to a failing grade. Where did this all come from I wonder?

I think parents often put too much pressure on kids for those A's and B's. This is where the car insurance (#12) comes in too. I can't imagine the pressure some kids must face at home to do well.

I also agree that high school kids just think they are worthy of A's and B's without any real work. They think of themselves as special or exceptional right out of the damned womb practically. I think of that t-shirt I saw earlier this year here - "Genius by birth; Slacker by choice." For the most part, kids aren't willing to put in the effort to attain an A. They just want one. I also think of the film "The Incredibles," where all super heroes are forced into retirement/seclusion because no one can be exceptional. Everyone has to be equal. Only at the high school level, instead of making everyone equal with C's, we tend to make them equal with A's and B's.

What else was frustrating for me when I saw this list was #4 and #13. I have a category in my Composition (sophomores) class called "writing process" that amounts to 20% of their grade. I do this to motivate them to write. If I were to just expect the kids to write their essays and grade them solely on performance and not effort, I'd have 99% failure. So what happens when they get to college. How come it's easier for them to write there rather than here? Is that even true or do professors face the same frustrations? Is it because the students are paying for their classes? Is it because they've matured? I don't know.