Friday, January 04, 2008
Are Graduation Tests Necessary?
Pennsylvania’s Secretary of Education is proposing to have all high school students pass exit exams before they can graduate. While the idea of improving the state’s education system is welcome, the devil’s always in the details—and with education in the Commonwealth that usually means more taxpayer money.
And what would state mandated graduation exams do that the state mandated PSSA exam, given annually to the students in the eleventh grade, doesn’t do? Can’t the state use the student’s performance on the PSSA to determine if they have qualified for graduation? The Secretary of Education notes Pennsylvania taxpayers spend $40 million to administer the PSSA to seven grades (third through eighth and then eleventh) and has not offered a guess as to new proposal’s cost. This may be another example of throwing money at a problem hoping it’ll get solved.
However, the premise of the proposal is markedly different from the PSSA, as it calls for students to take up to ten exams covering math (3 exams), English (2), social studies (3), and science (2), while those taking the PSSA are only tested on math and English at their grade level. This concept sounds good on the surface, but once teacher unions and school boards get their say it will no doubt get watered down and lose its original purpose—like many of the previous programs taxpayers keep paying for. What happens if they don’t pass the exams? If the test is hard enough to be meaningful many students will not pass. This may open the State up to lawsuits or causes the tests to be made so easy, the point of the exam will be lost.
But given the extravagant amount of money taxpayers spend on primary and secondary education, this type of testing should not be necessary. Students should be proving their abilities just by passing from one grade to the next. If we need to make sure students are meeting basic educational requirements by coming up with new tests, then this represents a stinging indictment of Pennsylvania’s current education system.
And what would state mandated graduation exams do that the state mandated PSSA exam, given annually to the students in the eleventh grade, doesn’t do? Can’t the state use the student’s performance on the PSSA to determine if they have qualified for graduation? The Secretary of Education notes Pennsylvania taxpayers spend $40 million to administer the PSSA to seven grades (third through eighth and then eleventh) and has not offered a guess as to new proposal’s cost. This may be another example of throwing money at a problem hoping it’ll get solved.
However, the premise of the proposal is markedly different from the PSSA, as it calls for students to take up to ten exams covering math (3 exams), English (2), social studies (3), and science (2), while those taking the PSSA are only tested on math and English at their grade level. This concept sounds good on the surface, but once teacher unions and school boards get their say it will no doubt get watered down and lose its original purpose—like many of the previous programs taxpayers keep paying for. What happens if they don’t pass the exams? If the test is hard enough to be meaningful many students will not pass. This may open the State up to lawsuits or causes the tests to be made so easy, the point of the exam will be lost.
But given the extravagant amount of money taxpayers spend on primary and secondary education, this type of testing should not be necessary. Students should be proving their abilities just by passing from one grade to the next. If we need to make sure students are meeting basic educational requirements by coming up with new tests, then this represents a stinging indictment of Pennsylvania’s current education system.
Comments:
<< Home
Today I heard from Harrisburg that the project cost is at $86 million for the PSSA/GCA's. The State Board of Education approved the proposed regulation revisions to Chapter 4 and now the process goes to the Independent Regulatory Review Process and hopefully this can be stopped legislatively.The state already has other ways for seniors to demonstrate proficiency, including alternative assessments and portfolios. This process would likely hamper those students who do not have access to good schools and good teachers.
Post a Comment
<< Home
