Nationwide, experts are pinning their hopes on a relatively new initiative, Common Core State Standards, rigorous high school guidelines meant to connect with college expectations.
The standards require more in-depth critical thinking and writing, among other ideas.
So far, 42 states - Pennsylvania and New Jersey included - have adopted the voluntary standards since they were established in 2008, according to the National Governors Association, which helped draft them.
Until and if the standards take hold, remediation will remain the primary way to make students ready for college.
Community colleges argue that it's their job to provide access for even underprepared students, so that everyone has a chance to earn a degree.
"It's part of our mission," said Victoria Bastecki-Perez, interim provost of Montgomery County Community College.
Not everyone agrees. "It angers me to hear community colleges say it's their job to remediate," said Dane Linn, director of the education division of the National Governors Association. "It's a moneymaker for them. But it's not their core mission."
And it's not clear how many people remediation actually helps. Richard Mohammed would say it has made all the difference. He recently graduated from Bucks County Community College with a nearly 3.5 grade-point average. He's looking for some kind of nursing job. And he is aiming to earn a four-year nursing degree.
"The remedial courses really helped me," he said. "They showed me how to succeed in college."
Contact staff writer Alfred Lubrano at 215-854-4969 or alubrano@phillynews.com. Read his blog, "Joint Custodian," at www.philly.com/jointcustodian
