Automatic college spots for Texas' top grads under fire

[Nottingham]

Automatic college spots for Texas' top grads under fire
Associated Press


AUSTIN -- In a move likely to spark a fight at the Capitol, a state senator is working on legislation to repeal the law guaranteeing the top 10 percent of high school graduates a spot in the state university of their choice.
Sen. Jeff Wentworth, R-San Antonio, said after this summer's U.S. Supreme Court ruling allowing the use of race as a factor in college admissions, he has decided the top 10 percent law is unnecessary.

Wentworth doesn't see the topic coming up during the current special legislative session, but he is working toward getting it on the agenda next spring when Gov. Rick Perry is expected to call a special session on public school finance.
"It seems to me we can go back to the way we were admitting people before, which is better than the top 10 percent rule," Wentworth said in today's editions of the Austin American-Statesman.

The top 10 percent law has become an issue at the University of Texas at Austin, where more than 70 percent of Texans admitted as freshmen this fall were guaranteed admission under that law. In the regular legislative session this year, UT officials pressed for a cap on the percentage admitted, but that effort failed.
The law was passed in 1997 after another court case involving UT admissions resulted in a ban on affirmative action for Texas college and university admissions. After recent contacts from UT and Texas A&M University officials, Wentworth said he favors outright repeal.

more....

http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/metropolitan/2119731

I guess Michigan is setting the standard now! :bounce:

[unblock]

1. the top 10% rule is not that bad

anybody that gets into the top 10% deserves a shot. if you are in a lousy school district, a top ten percenter might not do so well on the standardized tests, but they probably have the capacity to learn, so i say let 'em have a shot.

note that they're merely guaranteed admission. they have to prove themselves in the first year.

ohio used to have a similar rule, and over 50% of entering freshmen did not return for sophomore year. that's ok by me, like i said, these kids deserve a chance, not a free pass to graduation.

[revcarol]

2. Since now they can use race, they don't "NEED" to use academic

excellence??? Or is he admitting that since there is a lot of Hispanic and Black racial segregation by school district, they don't need to admit "any more" of these students since race has already been included as a criterion?

Sorry, I don't trust Southern repugs on any matter of race...This whole thing has that odor...

[Nottingham]

3. Whats disturbing is that Bush enacted Top 10% rule and

now Republicans want it gone!

Whats going on is that all of these top 10% kids want to go to UT or Texas A&M and not the other schools!

And I don't blame them they are top ranked schools

I have heard of high schools abusing this rule by making like 18 Salutorians...I think what could be going on is that UT wants out of state tuition and because it HAS to take these kids it HAS TO!

[sleipnir]

7. No necessarily true

When I was in HS (five years ago) a few of my "peers" skated by on "easy" classes, trying for a high GPA with little to no pressure. These 10% rules seem to allow for a certain amount of slackers to get into the system.

I feel that college should be 100% a right of all Americans, but we need an admissions policy that is based on individual talent and potential, not easily manipulated GPA number.

[LightTheMatch]

4. aw, dammit

I'm actually in favor of the 10% rule. What the hell, Senator Wentworth? This is my state Senator, and for a Republican, he's usually pretty good. I really don't understand his motive here.

[Waistdeep]

9. He's trying to create a wedge issue

Typical. Get high achieving students and parents to feel resentment about affirmative action. Divide and conquer.

[sonias]

12. Wentworth is my dog senator too

And frankly I have been more than disgusted with his tactics this session and all other sessions this year. We could start with his defense of marriage bill. Didn't think it needed defending. Then he insisted on penalties for the Texas 11 and even voted against the bill dropping the penalties because he felt they should be punished. Wentworth has taken a hard right turn so that he can keep his seat. Remember last election the repukes ran a right winger against him in the primary and spent money on negative ads against him saying he supported the gay agenda.

This bill is going directly to appease universities like UT, who insist they have to be able to set tuition rates themselves and that the 10% rule is overcrowding their universities. The truth is they don't want to have to admit minorities they don't want, which they have to do under the 10% rule. They want to cherry pick the minorities they admit, do they have sports abilities too for example. So what about bu$h support for the 10% rule, he's the one taking credit for it now, saying that's why Michigan didn't need affirmative action since diversity could be achieved throw other means like they did in Texas.


Sonia

[bluestateguy]

5. It's not a great law

Regular affirmative action makes more sense. A student should not be penalized because he attends an excellent public school where graduating in the top 20% is still an impressive feat.

[Kenneth ken]

6. shoddy journalism

it would have been a better article if it said by count how many Freshmen were admitted to UT because of the law, and what the overall size of the UT freshmen class is.

"...where more than 70 percent of Texans admitted as freshmen this fall ..." is a vague statement that means nothing.


When I first heard about this back in '97, I thought it sounded like a great idea. Reading this article, I can see how it could potentially adverseley affect a particular school, if virtually everyone elegible under the law opted for that particular school.

I would think the solution, if indeed that happened, would be for the school to try to recruit more sophomores. Every university weeds out a certain percentage of freshmen.

It would be interesting to see the graduation rates for those college-elegible since 1997. Something else this story doesn't cover.

[alarimer]

8. out of state tuition

I would think that universities would want more out of state students because they pay higher tuition which might help with the budget crunch. Having to take so many in state tuition might end up costing the university more money. Just a thought

[Terran]

10. Anyone know how the 10% population is determined?

If it's the top 10% of the statewide student population, then that is certainly disciminatory and should be repealed. But if it's the top 10% on a per-school basis, then that's a pretty good affirmative action program right there. Anyone know how it works?

[Nottingham]

11. It goes by School Rank! Top 10% of each school has Automatic

entrance to Any Texas School No matter what they scored on the SAT or ACT

It was based on your school performance!