This headline jumped out at me over my morning coffee. My first reaction was, “Great, teachers are supporting elementary school kids.”  But I quickly realized that the headline carried more dire news. The Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system released a study Wednesday stating that 38% of our Minnesota high school graduates had to take at least one remedial course upon entering college – 38%!

This study directly connects with my seminar No conversation with a group of college freshman. Here’s another quote from one of those students: “What you are saying about the impact of behavior on achievement is absolutely correct. I sailed through high school with straight A’s, hardly had any homework. I was one of the “good kids.” I was completely unprepared for college work. My first semester at the U of MN was like getting hit by a truck.”

I get feedback like this wherever I visit. The impact of not teaching our kids the self-discipline they need to be successful reaches from pre-school to college. When teachers have to deal more with student behavior than teaching & parents do not support teachers, the “pact” happens and grades are more indicative of behavior than academic achievement. All kids are impacted – those who do have self-discipline and those who don’t.

Do you agree or disagree?  Please post your comments.