College instructors value grammar more than high school teachers do
While college instructors rank "grammar and usage" as a student's most important writing skill, high-school teachers rank it as least important, and only 69 percent of high-school English teachers say they teach their students grammar and usage skills, according to a new survey by ACT. The grammar and usage section of the ACT exam produces the lowest scores of any ACT subtest, with the average score just below "borderline college-ready," which is surely one reason for the high enrollment in remedial writing courses among college freshmen.
"Grammar valued more in college than high school," by Rosalind Rossi, Chicago Sun-Times, April 9, 2003
"Survey finds split between what college instructors and high-school teachers value in student writing," by Megan Rooney, Chronicle of Higher Education, April 9, 2003 (subscription required)