Metro

‘Remedial class’ nightmare at CUNY

Nearly 80 percent of students entering CUNY community colleges have to take basic remediation classes, and most languish there — never earning a college degree, a new report reveals.

A staggering 78.6 percent of applicants flunked the CUNY entrance exam in fall 2010 and were told they need Rx in reading, writing or math to become capable of earning at least a C in college-level courses, reports a CUNY panel of experts who studied the problem.

What’s worse, a rising percentag of city public-school grads who go to CUNY, now 22.6 percent, need “triple remediation,” or catch-up classes in all three areas — reading, writing and math, data obtained by The Post show.

“These statistics tell us our kids are not college- and career-ready — that’s a no-brainer,’’ said Betty Rosa, a former Bronx school superintendent and member of the state Board of Regents.

“I think we’ve lowered the bar on what’s good enough, and this is the outcome.”

Too few eventually earn an associate degree. CUNY’s remedial students graduate at a far lower rate — 26.1 percent after six years compared to 40.3 percent for nonremedial students, the panel found.

Among reasons, the report cites “inadequate preparation” and “a lack of rigor” in grades K-12.

That translates into dumbed-down tests, easy grading and “giving out credits like candy” by the city Department of Education, said Brooklyn College education Professor David Bloomfield.

“The graduation rate has increased, but without the subject mastery,” he said. “It amounts to social promotion.”

The 78.6 percent includes DOE graduates (74.4 percent) and mostly dropouts who earned a GED degree (4.2 percent), officials said.

CUNY’s “Working Group on Remediation” in the Office of Academic Affairs recommended programs to get students through remediation sooner and move toward a degree.