Professor Rosemary Karr has taught developmental math at Collin College for 25 years. Karr, who also taught high school math, is dedicated to giving students the confidence they need to succeed in college.[/caption]

Preparing for college can be a stressful time for many high school students.

In an effort to help students prepare for the professional world, Collin College and Plano ISD offer courses and programs to assist students faced with the challenge of becoming college ready.

According to the College Board, high school students nationwide have not been adequately prepared for college for some time. Results from a 2014 study conducted by the educational nonprofit corporation showed that only 42.6 percent of SAT takers nationwide met the benchmark. This percentage has remained relatively unchanged over time, as reflected in the 2013 report, said Zachary Goldberg, external communications director for the College Board, which is based in New York.

"As with other assessments and measurements, recent SAT results have cast a light on the inequities in our education system," Goldberg said. "For the past five years, the percentage of SAT takers graduating from high school academically prepared for the rigors of college-level course work hasn't improved."

To change this trend, Goldberg said educators must forge greater connections between assessment and instruction. By delivering more opportunities for growth, students can better navigate the path to college and workforce training programs, Goldberg said.

"At the College Board, we see stagnant results as a call to action with a need to focus on the few things that matter to college and career readiness—to integrate assessment and instruction more deeply—and to identify students who have fallen behind earlier and intervene to help accelerate their progress," Goldberg said.

University Ready

One way in which Plano students can prepare for college is through University Ready, Plano ISD's one-stop college advice center that provides guidance for parents and students. University Ready's programs offer readiness assistance in the areas of academics, admissions and financial planning.

Paul Weaver, assistant executive director of counseling and family services, said counselors play a vital role in University Ready's mission. These programs are instilled in students from elementary school all the way to their senior year in high school, Weaver said.

"[Our counselors] lead students and work with parents and students all along the way," he said.

Meeting in small groups with eighth-graders and individually at the 10th-and 11th- grade levels, students learn about academic, college and career planning, Weaver said.

Counselors then meet with students again during senior year to go over college readiness tactics and career planning strategies.

The one-on-one approach has become tremendously rewarding for students, despite being in a large district, Weaver said. Sources such as the University Ready website are also an effective way for students to work through the process at home, he added.

"We are helping these students and encouraging them to participate in [Advanced Placement] classes and [are] working with them as they go through these classes," Weaver said. "Our district does a wonderful job of preparing [its] students."

Developmental college courses

Professor Rosemary Karr teaches developmental math at Collin College. Named the U.S. Professor of the Year in 2009 by the Carnegie Foundation, Karr specializes in helping students who are underprepared for the rigors of college- level math.

Similar courses are also available in reading and writing, subjects mandated by the state to be provided at colleges throughout the state. Colleges determine which new students will benefit from these developmental, noncredited courses based on their performance on the Texas Success Initiative, the placement test taken by students upon starting a two- or four- year college.

While helping students understand subject matter is the primary mission for educators like Karr, developmental teachers must take a more holistic approach when it comes to preparing students for college-level course work.

"You have to teach study skills such as note taking—some students don't know how to do that in a math class, Karr said."

Many students have had negative experiences when it comes to math, so a teacher's goal should be to break that cycle, said Karr, who has been teaching developmental math at Collin College for 25 years.

"Once you have success in math, it fuels you to work a little bit harder; and that, of course, leads to more successes," Karr said. "It's so much more than teaching the subject. I like changing their attitudes and that's what I feel like I do."

For more information about developmental math and other developmental education courses, visit <a href="https://www.collin.edu">www.collin.edu or <a href="https://www.ur.pisd.edu">www.ur.pisd.edu.