Exit exams
Wondering how Maryland high school students will do when they have to take those pesky high school exit exams in a few years? Utah might be able to serve as a test case.
Check out here what's going on in the Salt Lake state, where 26 percent of the students fail those exams, but are still able to graduate (essentially, with an asterisk on their diplomas). State lawmakers are looking into who is failing the test and why before convening for the 2008 session. The test includes reading, math and writing segments, and students have five chances to pass.
I don't really understand the point of exit exams, especially if they don't determine whether a student graduates. Doesn't that make it a rather meaningless test? And what difference does it make if it's noted on the diploma that the student failed the exam? He/she is still considered a high school graduate, right?
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Comments
The situation in Utah sounds less dire than in Maryland. As things stand currently, Maryland students graduating in 2009 will need to have passed four HSA exams (in English, algebra, biology, and American government) in order to receive a diploma. If they do not pass these exams, they will only receive a certificate of attendance. This certificate is not a diploma, in fact, it says that the student simply showed up to school (which in many cases is an exaggeration).
Based on the low test scores of students in many districts, I suspect the rules may be bended or the state will risk 'graduating' thousands of Maryland kids with minimal prospects post-high school. Few colleges will be accepting students with 'certificates of attendance,' I suspect. Until that point, we will be shoving down 'you have to pass' messages into the throats of blameless high schoolers around the state. Only when wealthy Howard and Montgomery county parents of the class of 2009 start complaining about the fear of their kids not receiving a diploma will things start changing.
Posted by: Allie | July 25, 2007 2:57 PM