have success in the classroom, those changes are all for nothing. i have to say, cnn talked to a dozen professors and advisers at multiple other universities. they echo what mary willingham found. the universities argue they are satisfied with their overall graduation rates. the question here, is, how do these athletes graduate if they can t read? how do you get through high school if you are reading at a third or fourth grade level? so they are accepted into these universities. they are playing football, making massive amounts of money for the universities. the universities know that they are never going to educate these kids, because you can t be educated at a college level when you are reading at a third-grade level and yet they don t pay these athletes any money. right. the question is, a lot of people are pointing out today at least, you know, with the percentage of these guys that actually go pro, that can make a living without essentially being able to read, they can make
says there are athletes that come to the university of north carolina that are reading at a third and fourth grade level. there is no way they can succeed in a college classroom. reporter: she is one of the few people we could find that is looking at the reading level in the revenue-generating sports, football and basketball. they are leaving here without an education. they are significantly behind the level of reading and writing that s required. reporter: with the university s permission, she combed through eight years worth of test scores and found up to 25% of athletes in the revenue sports don t have the skills to take classes at a community college, let alone a competitive university like unc. looking at 183 football and basketball players, between 2004 and 2012, willingham found that 8% were reading below a fourth grade level and 60% were reading
comes to academics taking the backseat to athletics. cnn s sara gan ham has much, much more rurp the university is not just a powerhouse with dedicated fans. it s also a top tier academic institution, but one academic counselor there, who spend years tutoring student athletes says too many of them can t even read. we may as go over to glenwood elementary up the street and let the fourth graders and third graders in here. they can t read and there are no repeddial classes, what s the option? to cheat? the other option is to cheat, that s correct, or find some professor, some course of curriculum where there are professors, or there is little or no work expected. mary willingham says there are athletes who come for the university reading at a third or fourth grade level.
we know levon s progress in math and reading is a direct consequence of this support that we ve given him academically. and chamar? his math was 88%, so he s well above grade level. chamar is now reading at a beginning fourth grade level and he s returning to mastery and his mom finally got a job. i m not pulling my hair out trying to figure it out. as for brendon montgomery i would say it s been pretty successful academically. what s the first thing we re going to do? we have to follow and to control his behavior, mr. price is using a system of points and rewards. that helped quite a bit. he s returning to mastery. community activist sondra samuels. do you think eric can create four schools in ten years?
public school next door that wouldn t have also happened. we re constantly assessing the progress of levon. we know levon s progress in math and reading is a direct consequence of this support that we ve given him academically. and chamar? his math was 88%, so he s well above grade level. chamar is now reading at a beginning fourth grade level and he s returning to mastery and his mom finally got a job. i m not pulling my hair out trying to figure it out. as for brendon montgomery i would say it s been pretty successful academically. what s the first thing we re going to do? we have to follow and to control his behavior, mr. price is using a system of points and rewards. that helped quite a bit. he s returning to mastery.