Blame the Exam, Not the Student

(Albany, New York) Because some high school students do not learn enough to pass the examinations required for graduation, the New York State Board of Regents is being asked once again to fudge the system to allow those that fail to still get a diploma. The Regents are considering the inclusion of an appeals process which would allow students who fail to boo-hoo their way around the requirements. This action piggybacks nicely on last year's decision to lower the passing grade threshold from 65 to 55% on math and physics exams. Since 55% is only a slightly better result then would be expected by flipping a coin, the Regents are forced to consider alternatives other than another lowering of the passing mark. So it appears that an irritating dog-and-pony appeals process will be the next method used to make a mockery of educational standards.

Just for grins, check out the following from Erika Rosenberg of The Journal News:

Last year, the board made the biggest changes in nearly a decade to its drive for higher academic standards. It agreed to make high school math and physics exams easier to pass, and it extended for five years a measure allowing students to pass the exams with a score of at least 55. The passing mark had been 65 out of 100. (Emphasis mine)

The board made changes for higher standards by reducing requirements. Okay. I guess I'm just not smart enough to understand how that works.

Another related aspect worth mentioning is that entering college freshman are now commonly taught remedial high school courses to prepare them for college-level coursework. See discussion here and here. In one example, teaching remedial high school courses is considered a core function of the university and paid for by taxpayers. And the numbers are not small. A significant percentage of incoming freshman are found to be unprepared for college.

In summary, education systems tend toward blaming the examination process when the problem is directly attributable to the education process.