Have you ever poured hours into studying for an exam, been told you were ready, and then discovered that despite your hard work, you couldn’t pass the test?

Unfortunately, that’s what many of the nation’s high school graduates are experiencing. They’ve worked hard in school, walked across the platform to receive their diploma, and gone on to college only to discover that they’re not prepared for college level work.

According to a new report from the Center for American Progress, such a scenario might be the plight of more students than we realize. The following list shows the 10 states with the most students taking remediation courses in college:

10. Indiana – 48 percent

9. Oklahoma – 50 percent 

8. Arkansas – 51 percent

7. Maryland – 52 percent

6. Hawaii – 55 percent 

5. Mississippi – 55 percent

4. New Mexico – 58 percent

3. Oregon – 78 percent

2. Nevada – 85 percent

1. Florida – 93 percent

And the bill for all these catch-up courses isn’t cheap either. Research shows that students fork out $1.3 billion a year in order to learn the basic material their high schools were supposed to teach them.

We’ve had a number of clues over the years – including low test scores, easier book selections, and declining writing ability – indicating that schools might not be offering the quality of education they once did. Given the above remediation numbers, is it time to stop selling our students a line that they’re doing okay, and instead, start pushing them toward greater success?

Image Credit: Library NaUKMA bit.ly/1iowB8m