Comprehension

This may be something that we touch more on in our March meeting, but it is amazing to me that when I get a new batch of students for the semetser, it's like information has skipped out of students' brains. I spent three weeks doing literary anaylsis step by step and half my students I had last semester are oblivious going into other papers; and some tell me that they never learned certain concepts when in fact I know they spent time doing it with other teachers. I am so frustrated. Am I not teaching it effectively? I know I did, because most did great work when it was assigned, but why does it just go in one ear and out the other? Why are students "learning" to just finish the end product (i.e. test, project, paper)? Is it something I'm doing or have they been taught that the "moment" matters, not the life-long learning or necessity for the future? I have changed some things in my class to make this seemingly boring process informative and fun; but process with anything is tedious, repetitive, and can be a little dull. Most of these kids have never learned the writing process and I feel like I'm having to cover ground that should have (just in the very basics) been covered prior. It's those essential learnings that these kids lack and yet it's info. that they get "now"-I'm not saying that all students are like this, but some see it as a means to the end, and I have not stopped stressing the importance and setting purpose for everything they do in this process. Any thoughts, any of the same frustrations?