New English Class Helps Delaware Students Enter College Credit C - WBOC-TV 16, Delmarvas News Leader, FOX 21 -

MILFORD, Del.- The Delaware Department of Education has launched a new high school English class aimed at getting students into college courses sooner.

The Foundations of College English was developed through funding from the Strada Education Network in partnership with the Delaware Department of Education and a number of Delaware colleges and universities to reduce the amount of Delaware graduates who take remedial classes in college.

“Of all our public school graduates who enter in-state college or university, we have found that 41 percent of them require remedial education courses in either Mathematics or English,” says Delaware Secretary of Education Susan Bunting. “About 24 percent of them actually do require remedial coursework in English itself.”

The class will be taken by junior year students who want to take dual enrollment college credit classes senior year but have SAT scores too low to join. Now students who earn at least 75 percent in the course will be guaranteed a spot in English language coursework at Goldey Beacom College, Delaware State University, Delaware Technical Community College, University of Delaware, Wesley College and Wilmington University.

Gov. John Carney said the program would benefit both students and the local economy.

"So when they go onto college, whether it's here in the state of Delaware or somewhere else, they don't have to take that remedial course," he says. "They are ready to go right into college course and hopefully graduate from college and come back and be part of a great strong workforce here in the state of Delaware." 

The class was tested in four school districts first, including Indian River and Milford. Starting next school year, any high school can offer it.

For more on the course, click here.