A Math Horror Show at UC San Diego
SAN DIEGO, CA – A new internal report reveals a startling decline in the mathematical readiness of incoming freshmen at the University of California, San Diego, one of the nation’s highest-ranked public universities (currently 6th according to U.S. News & World Report). The analysis, conducted by a joint faculty-governance committee, points to a significant erosion of academic standards and raises serious concerns about student success.
The report details a “steep decline” in the academic readiness of students entering UC San Diego over the past five years, specifically citing deficiencies in mathematics, writing, and language skills. According to the findings, a staggering one in eight freshmen now demonstrate math skills “below middle-school level” – a 30-fold increase since 2020.
This alarming statistic is juxtaposed with the fact that students requiring middle-school remedial math courses still managed to achieve an average high-school math GPA of an A-. This discrepancy strongly suggests widespread grade inflation within high schools.
The committee’s report links the decline, in part, to the UC Board of regents’ decision in May 2020 to suspend the SAT requirement for admissions, ostensibly to promote equity and improve “educational quality.” The report states this trend “poses serious challenges both to student success and to the university’s instructional mission.”
The findings raise questions about the effectiveness of current K-12 preparation and the impact of altered admissions criteria on the academic profile of students entering flagship public universities. The full report is expected to fuel debate about college readiness and the role of standardized testing in evaluating applicants.
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