Where to set the bar?

Last year, 48 percent of seniors in Camden, New Jersey passed neither of two state high school exit exams, but earned their diploma anyway by appealing to the state, reports Sarah Gonzalez for WNYC. Throughout New Jersey, 1,400 seniors graduated through the process, which began in 2010 when the state introduced a more rigorous alternative high school graduation exam and nearly 2,000 seniors failed. About 11,000 students failed the High School Proficiency Assessment last year, according to the New Jersey Department of Education. These then could take a different test, the Alternative High School Assessment, which consists of just one problem per subject. Students failing this could appeal graduation requirements by submitting samples of classwork, which could include a single algebra problem or a persuasive essay with teacher comments in the margins. Many feel this is a lifeline rather than a cop-out. "I think when you first learn about this process, at the surface level, it feels suspicious," says Camden Schools Superintendent Paymon Rouhanifard. "Once you actually dig in and spend time with students and teachers, you understand why it's there." Students have been affected by low education standards in their districts for too long, Rouhanifard explains. "It's a bit arbitrary to say that if you scored one question below that bar on a standardized test, you shouldn't receive a diploma." More

Source:  Public Education News Blast

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Los Angeles Education Partnership (LAEP) is an education support organization that works as a collaborative partner in high-poverty communities.