Michael Birnbaum. "Facing Md. graduation tests, more choose Option B. " The Washington Post 7 Oct. 2010,US & Midwestern Newspapers, ProQuest. Web. 7 Oct. 2010. |
http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?index=0&did=2155837401&SrchMode=1&sid=1&Fmt=3&VInst=PROD&VType=PQD&RQT=309&VName=PQD&TS=1286472265&clientId=16548
Maryland's high school testing requirements were designed to increase rigor and the value of the state's diplomas, but only a tiny fraction of seniors this year failed to graduate because of their exam results, and an increasing number of students are using alternative assessments because they have difficulty passing the regular tests, according to data released Wednesday by the State Department of Education. The tests have been criticized by some educators as not being sufficiently rigorous to determine whether a student is truly ready to graduate. But state officials say the tests - in algebra, English, biology and government - are an important minimum requirement and have improved high school education.
This year, 0.06 percent of seniors failed to receive their diplomas because of the tests and 8.6 percent of the senior class graduated only after completing the alternative projects, an increase of 2.3 percentage points from 2009. And some students received waivers exempting them from the requirements altogether. In my opinion, there should be no alternative projects, the point of the test is to see if the students have the skills on the test in order to graduate. There is no point in testing students on essential skills if some students can choose to do other assignments.
Even though the tests are holding relatively few students back, data show that the requirements are requiring many students to work harder. In Prince George's County, 16.5 percent of seniors had to complete the alternative projects to pass, and at some schools the figure was more than 40 percent. In 2009, 13.1 percent of Prince George's high school seniors needed to do the projects to get a diploma.
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