Ready or Not? Student Perceptions of English Course Preparation for College

• In Event: Researching the Humanities in PK-12 Classrooms

Abstract

The purpose of the study was to ascertain which high school English coursework factors were related to college readiness. Numerous studies provide evidence that college freshmen are not ready for college work. In this mixed method study, surveys were distributed in remedial and college level English classes. The largest percentages of students reported they took literature, Expository Reading and Writing (ERWC) and AP English. Students who reported taking an AP or ERWC course reported writing fifty percent more essays that students who reported taking a literature course. The more essays they reported writing, the more prepared for college students felt. Findings should be helpful for high school English teachers, and suggest that students should be assigned more essay writing.

Authors

• Anne Hafner, California State University - Los Angeles

• Zulmara Cline, California State University

• Michelle Saint-Germain, California State University - Long Beach