Superintendent of Public Instruction Kirsten Baesler says she’s hoping to improve communication between local schools and higher education – with a pilot project being launched in June.
Baesler says the colleges are concerned some high school graduates aren’t ready for college – and need to take remedial courses.
"In K-12 education, we have a vertical alignment," said Baesler. "When a student finishes 5th grade, the teacher knows what the student is expected to do when the student starts 6th grade. That's true through 12th grade. The communication has traditionally stopped after K-12. So what we need to do is understand what the students will be expected to know and be able to do in grade 13, if you will -- and going forward from there."
Baesler says starting in June, math teachers from Bismarck State College will be meeting with high school math teachers, and English instructors from Valley City State University will meet with high school English teachers – to talk about what students need to know when they start college. She says she hopes this can be expanded down the road.
