Standards in Education

In California on May 12, a judge recently rejected a high school exit exam that is required for 12^th graders too graduate. There have been many challenges to this program since its conception by Jack O’Connell, the Superintendent of Public Instruction. He drafted this requirement so that public schools (in my opinion across the country) could regain their lost reputation as credible academic institutions among the world. But at its first year of operation, it was shot down.

Here is the requirement and a summary of the test from the Los Angeles Times:

This year's 12th-graders were the first class to face the testing requirement, which includes a section of eighth-grade math and another of ninth- and 10th-grade English. Students are required to answer little more than half of the questions correctly and can take the test multiple times. Students with learning disabilities were exempted from the test.

This apparently was too much for some parents to handle their kids going through. A suit was filed against the state by Arturo Gonzalez. The basic complaint against the test is that it discriminates against poor and minority kids who apparently can’t study.

The argument is decimated by many holes. The whole purpose of the test is to restore meaning a high school diploma. These people make it seem like everyone is supposed pass the test. If it’s a test, (and an easy one at that) then some students will fail. I sympathize, but they shouldn’t ruin everyone else’s reputation just because they didn’t pass. The whole point of the exam is to filter out those who aren’t as educational from those who are. If everyone passes, the test is irrelevant.

There are many, many stories of poor people who succeeded out of tough situations to rise in the academic realm. One thing distinguishes them: they studied fervently. If the “poor, minority, unprivileged students” wanted to succeed in passing high school and moving on with their life, they would study. It’s not like the test is impossible.

It’s time to restore the dignity of a high school education. (Or an 8^th grade education for that matter) The way to do that is to raise standards of graduation.