The percentage of Maryland high school students who took a college-preparatory curriculum, but still needed remedial help in math during their first year of college has risen steadily in the past eight years, according to a study published this month by the Maryland Higher Education Commission.

In the most recent group of Maryland high school seniors surveyed, the graduating class of 2004, 30 percent of students enrolledin a college prep curriculum required remedial math assistance in college ? up from 26 percent eight years ago. The new figure is the highest since the analysis was introduced in the 1994-95 academic year.