Dear Commons Community,

Citing two recent studies the New York Times editorial today questions the methods used for placement of incoming students into remedial courses in community colleges across the country.    Specifically the editorial recommends:

“The Obama administration is rightly pushing colleges to raise graduation rates and to make sure that more students graduate on time. To help achieve those goals, the community college systems that enroll about 11 million students need to end the practice of shunting students who are prepared for college into non-credit remedial classes that chew up financial aid while making it far less likely that they will ever graduate.”

The editorial comments that the problem is underscored in two new studies from the Community College Research Center at Columbia University’s Teachers College that examine remedial education policies at two unnamed systems: one large urban community college system and one statewide community college system. The studies, which look at tens of thousands of students over several years, found that more than a quarter of those assigned to remedial classes based solely on standardized test scores could have passed college-level classes with a grade of B or better.

This issue will surely become more pronounced in the next couple of years.   On one side will be community college faculty and administrators who administer and teach remedial courses who will defend the current system and any change as an attempt to water down requirements and standards;  and on the other side will be those who want to accelerate/improve college completion rates.   However, there is also a twist to this on the part of the US Department of Education whose policies call for unbridled testing of students in the K-12 schools to insure standards so how does it now frame a call for relaxing testing and standards at the community college level.

Tony

Dear Commons Community,

The Sporting News is reporting that New Orleans Saints players and at least one assistant coach maintained a bounty pool of up to $50,000 the last three seasons to reward game-ending injuries inflicted on opposing players, including Brett Favre and Kurt Warner, the NFL said Friday. “Knockouts” were worth $1,500 and “cart-offs” $1,000, with payments doubled or tripled for the playoffs.

The NFL said Friday the pool amounts reached their height in 2009, the year the Saints won the Super Bowl.

The league said between 22 and 27 defensive players were involved in the program and that it was administered by defensive coordinator Gregg Williams, with the knowledge of coach Sean Payton.

The Sporting News quotes Williams as apologizing for his role: “It was a terrible mistake, and we knew it was wrong while we were doing it,” he said.

No punishments have been handed out, but they could include suspension, fines and loss of draft picks. The NFL said the findings were corroborated by multiple, independent sources, during an investigation by the league’s security department.

The article further comments:

“Players contributed cash to the pool, at times large amounts, and in some cases the money pledged was directed against a specific person, the NFL said.

“The payments here are particularly troubling because they involved not just payments for ‘performance,’ but also for injuring opposing players,” Commissioner Roger Goodell said in a statement. “The bounty rule promotes two key elements of NFL football: player safety and competitive integrity.”

Payoffs included $1,500 for a “knockout” and $1,000 for a “cart-off,” with payouts doubling or tripling during the playoffs. All payouts for specific performances in a game, including interceptions or causing fumbles, are against NFL rules. The NFL also warns teams against such practices before each season.”

I guess winning is everything – even if it means maiming an opposing player!

Tony