Raising standards, lowering admissions
Number 2 Pencil
Florida's state university system is already feeling the heat for tightening its standards:
The State University System of Florida admitted fewer black students this year over last, preliminary numbers show, reports Inside Higher Education...The number of black applicants admitted to any institution in the state system decreased 4.5 percent, or 421 students, this May compared to last May. Bill Edmonds, spokesman for Florida Board of Education, noted that actual enrollment numbers won’t be known until September.
At Florida State University, the number of black students admitted through the end of May compared to last May decreased 10.6 percent, or by 150 students. Jon Barnhill, director of admissions and records, said in light of tight state funding, Florida State is trying to limit growth. The institution has changed admission standards by not admitting students whose standardized test scores showed a need for remedial classes. The admissions change, Barnhill said, is the reason for the decline at Florida State.
This is a fairly neutral article, as is the longer Inside Higher Ed version, and the next question reporters should be asking is, how does this change affect students of every ethnic group, and why is it doing so? However, I'm not optimistic that the press will go down that meaningful path.
kimberlyswygert.com |
