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July 26, 2006
Exit exams and accountability
As linked on the news page, the lawsuit over California's exit exam has hit the appeals court:
Opponents of the public school exam have argued that the test penalizes students who didn't have access to a quality education, while proponents say it is a necessary indicator of student achievement.
The case has taken numerous legal twists and turns, and Tuesday's proceedings won't be the last. (emphasis added)
Oh, I gathered as much. And I understand the complaints about the sudden-death nature of the exam, which is the tripwire that brought the suit to life. But what gets me is just how difficult the exam is--which is to say, not very, according to former LA mayor Richard Riordan:
Right now, in order to graduate, seniors in the state need to pass a test — a test, mind you, that they can take as many as six times before the end of senior year. This exam only assesses whether students have attained 8th-grade math levels and 10th-grade English skills. That's correct; students only need to demonstrate middle school math skills to pass a high school exit exam. And we hope to prepare our next generation for the fierce global job competition ahead?
Some sample questions, courtesy of the Sacramento Bee:
Maybe it's just me, but none of those questions seemed particularly difficult. (Several of the commenters to the SacBee story felt the same way.) As Kimberly Swygert remarked in 2003, way back when the California Board of Ed was in the process of diluting the exam:
"Oh no, removing difficult items in no way affects the difficulty of the test. It in no way makes it easier for the less-able students to pass. It merely enhances the self-esteem of those that take it, and in California, isn't self-esteem everything?"
Actually, it feels like there's something else at work here: namely, passing the buck. See, those who fail to get a minimum of 60 percent correct in language arts and 55 percent correct in math (link) after six tries presumably shouldn't be held responsible, since the schools failed to teach them. But the teachers can't be held accountable, because the students are at a socioeconomic disadvantage. But the system overall can't be held responsible, either, because in spite of billions upon billions of dollars, schools are starved for money. So who's at fault? Apparently, nobody.
In the present system, it is said that education is "everybody's" responsibility. But when something belongs to everybody, it really seems to belong to nobody. And so it is with school choice programs versus public schools. Critics love to bang the accountability drum, and are quick to point to incidents of fraud and graft. But in those instances, individuals can be brought up on charges, somebody can be held to blame and punished accordingly. And in situations where kids aren't doing well in a particular private school, parents can turn to the school and demand an explanation. I would argue that that arrangement, while not ideal, is far preferable over situations like California (or New Jersey, or Kansas City), where pretty much everybody agrees things are broken but nobody is at fault. If you're after accountability, isn't it preferable to have an arrangement where you can at least point a finger at somebody?
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Comments
This is precisely why we need an education free market in this country. I liked what you said about the system supposedly belonging to everybody, which when translated, means nobody. Teachers and administrators themselves must "make the grade," and I believe that's why the tests are being dumbed down. The system is broken, always has been because of its foundation; kids don't want to learn and parents don't back up the teachers, anyway. What's a good teacher to do? Pass them through.
Middle school questions on a graduating senior's exit exam...and no one's saying anything. Pass them through, I guess. I'm keeping my kids home where they belong. - gena
Posted by: Gena Suarez | July 26, 2006 08:13 PM
