Higher Ed Algebra

Remember those Math Teaser word problems from grade school? Heres one for higher ed:

Question: A new study released this week by the Ohio Board of Regents finds that 75 percent of the states students who take a remedial course while in college fail to earn a bachelors degree within six years of their initial enrollment. Assume for the sake of this problem that Ohios percentage is comparable to national figures. Knowing that 40 percent of post-secondary students have to take a remedial mathematics or English course while in college and that 46 percent of post-secondary students drop out of college, what percentage of the college dropout population took a remedial course mathematics or English course while in college? More importantly perhaps, what percentage of college students who do not take a remedial mathematics or English course while in college still end up dropping out?

Answer: Approximately, 65 percent of the college dropout population took a remedial mathematics or English course at the post-secondary education level. Approximately, 27 percent of college students that do not take a remedial course at the post-secondary level still end up dropping out (See our algebraic proof below.)

Percentage of college dropouts who took a remedial course.

= (% of remedial students) (% of remedial students who dropout)
(% of dropouts)

= (.40) (.75)

(.46)

= .65

Percentage of non-remedial course taking students who dropout of college.

= (% dropouts who did not take a remedial course) (% of dropouts)

(% of non-remedial students)

= (.35) (.46)
(.60)

  = .27

Lesson Learned: This weeks Ohio report offers further evidence that high school preparation is strongly correlated with college completion. But the college dropout problem isnt solely attributable to poor high school preparation. More than one out of four students ready for college work after high school graduation still ends up dropping out. For them and probably even for those who arent well prepared academically in high school, financial need in all likelihood plays a large role in their ability to complete a college degree program.