Seniors' history scores `abysmal'; fourth- and eighth-graders outperformed 12th-graders in a national history survey, with 57 percent of seniors failing to show `basic' knowledge of the subject

0 Comments | Insight on the News, June 10, 2002 | by Cheryl Wetzstein

Duke now asks on its applications whether students have received any help in writing their essays--although it's the only university to do so. Almost 95 percent of the applicants say they sought some type of advice on their essays. Less than 1 percent say they found help from the Internet or a private consultant, according to Duke admissions officials.

Nevertheless, business at at least two Internet-based companies that provide detailed evaluations and critiques of college essays has more than doubled during the last two years. EssaysEdge.com in Palm Springs, Calif., helped about 5,000 students each month during the last academic year, compared with 2,000 students per month last year. Accepted.com in Los Angeles worked with nearly 500 students this year, compared with 250 last year. "If the best writers have editors, why can't amateurs have editors as well?" asks Linda Abraham, president of Accepted.com.

ELLEN SOROKIN WRITES FOR Insight's SISTER DAILY, THE WASHINGTON TIMES.

RELATED ARTICLE: Insight's education bulletin board.

GOP Touts Education to Voters

Education has become a battleground between the nation's two political parties, but recent GOP polling shows the party has lost ground to Democrats on the issue since January. "There's nothing out there that would encourage us to believe that Democrats have better ideas," says House Republican Conference Chairman J.C. Watts Jr. of Oklahoma. "In fact, they have no ideas, but research proves that when we're not talking about education, we lose."

Specifically, Republicans are being told to highlight the new education overhaul law, which links federal funding to results to ensure children are learning, provides unprecedented money to ensure all children are reading by the third grade, gives parents a greater say in their child's education and reduces red tape for schools.

They also are being told to highlight Republican legislation that would forgive up to $17,500 of the student loans of those who become math, science, and education teachers, as well as the Republican push to expand school choice for low-income parents and their children.

Urging `Dual Enrollment'

More collaboration between high schools and colleges may help revitalize the nation's high schools, say experts. In particular, dual enrollment--in which high schoolers are given access to college course work--is attracting enthusiasm.

Traditionally, only high-achieving students were included in dual-credit programs. Educators are arguing that middle-and even low-achieving high-school students can benefit from such opportunities. A similar collaboration known as "tech prep," in which businesses, high schools and community colleges offer students career paths into high-tech fields, also is making progress, according to Thomas R. Bailey, a professor of economics and education at Columbia University.

U.S. high schools show significant dropout rates--nationally, only 74 percent of students complete high school on time. At least one-quarter of students who do graduate need remedial reading or math courses when they enter college. About one-third of employers say they have workers who are deficient in critical reading and writing skills, notes Phyllis Eisen of the National Association of Manufacturers, citing a recent survey of 600 members.