That is the good news from a national survey of 1,500 graduates from the class of 2010 that was released Tuesday by the College Board, the nonprofit association that runs the SAT and Advanced Placement tests.
The inaugural survey, One Year Out, sought to mine perspectives about the weaknesses and strengths of the nation’s education system from a group rarely heard from in that national debate. The survey was conducted by Hart Research Associates between July and August of this year. Twelve percent of the respondents were from California.
Perhaps surprisingly, given the rancor over issues of testing, graduation and college readiness, 66% said their high school did a good job of preparing them for college, while 58% said they were adequately prepared for the workplace. Only about half said their school did a good job of preparing them for both college and work.
A majority -- 69% -- said requirements for graduating from high school, including tests and courses, were easy. Thirty-seven percent said such requirements should be tougher.
Overall, 82% of recent graduates said they were very or somewhat satisfied with their high school experience, a percentage that was fairly consistent among those who went on to a four-year college, a two-year college or did not enroll in any college.
Still, given the chance, most students said they would change something about their high school experience, including 44% who said they wished they had taken different courses such as more intensive math, science and writing.
“These candid assessments provide critical firsthand insight into how high schools serve -- and in some ways shortchange -- their graduates,” College Board president Gaston Caperton said in a statement. “One Year Out is a call to action, straight from the class of 2010.”
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