One in three students starting out at a state university or a community college in Pennsylvania needs remedial help, according to a study released by the state Department of Education.

The data, provided by the schools, shows that during the 2007-08 school year 20,394 of the 62,002 recent Pennsylvania high school graduates who enrolled in state system institutions or community colleges took extra classes to catch up to their peers.

Both Slippery Rock University and Butler County Community College offer students remedial classes to bring them up to college course work.

SRU has just one class while BC3 has a number of them.

Remedial classes include developmental courses that give students extra skills practice time and preparatory courses that teach skills.

The results of placement tests determine if a student is required to enroll in preparatory and/or developmental courses. Students earn credit for these courses.

These courses offered at BC3 are:

n Developmental Reading — three sections

• Preparatory Reading — two sections

• Developmental English — three sections

• Preparatory English — three sections

• Preparatory Math — five sections

• Preparatory Algebra ¿ 19 sections

These account for 501 students, and most students take only one class.

As a college that accepts any student with a high school diploma, BC3 tries to meet the needs of students who need to brush up on a subject, said Francie Spigelmyer, interim vice president for academic affairs.

"We have students who have gaps in skills," she said.

The students who successfully make it through a remedial math course usually stay in college, Spigelmyer said.

"That remediation really shows them they can make it," she said.

SRU only offers one remedial class, which is the lowest number ever.

That class is beginning algebra, and it enrolls about 120 students per semester, in classes of 25 to 30 students each.

The reason for just one remedial class is the increase in academic standards for students to be admitted to SRU, according to Amanda Yale, associate provost of enrollment services.

Over the past 10 years, the university has increased its admission standards, requiring students to have higher scores on the Scholastic Aptitude Tests, among other changes.

Most students take remedial classes at the community college level if needed, she said.

About 10 years ago, SRU offered a remedial English class, Yale said.

"Of all the remedial work, math is the one we find there is still a need," she said.

That probably won't change soon, she said. The number of students in the math course has remained stable for about six years.

"At the national level, math is a high need for remedial work," she said. "I think it's the role of SRU to offer that. I don't think there will be a time when we'll get out of the business."

Students in the math course come from throughout the state, according to Yale. At times, SRU staff members have talked with a school district when they've noticed a high number of students in a course from that district, she said.

"I think we need to take closer look at preparing students in general," she added. "Math is something we can always do a better job with."

BY THE NUMBERS

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Here are the number of students in school districts in the Butler County area who needed remediation in 2007 at state colleges and community colleges:

District PERCENT

A-C Valley 24%

Butler 27%

Freeport 23%

Grove City 23%

Karns City 21%

Mars 26%

Moniteau 38%

Seneca Valley 29%

Slippery Rock 17%

South Butler 25%

Union 42%

Source: Pennsylvania Department of Education