High School Graduation Exams

There is an ongoing controversy about High School graduation requirements in Pennsylvania. The Governor's budget includes over $200 million to develop state graduation exams in English, math, science and social studies. School districts and local boards (including DVSD) has protested that expenditure and the possibility of yet more mandated tests.

An article in today's Pittsburgh Post Gazette indicates that rather than requiring districts to adopt the new graduation exams the following options may be available to demonstrate competency for High School Graduation:

• Students could pass at least six of the 10 exams, one each from science and social studies and two each from English and math.

• Schools could count scores from Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate tests for comparable subjects.

• Schools could require students to pass state-validated local assessments.

• Students could complete a locally designed academic project if the student fails a Keystone or state-validated local assessment.

Some of the tests could replace some 11th grade PSSAs if approved by the federal government, but there would be more standardized tests than present in any case.

I have never heard the answer to this question: Why is it necessary to have an separate graduation requirement test? Why not improve the PSSAs, and use them along with the existing graduation requiremnts?

I believe the answer would cause state officials to acknowledge that the PSSAs are not a very good measurement tool.

What are your thoughts? Who and how should one determine if a student has demonstrated competency for High School graduation? Who should set the requirements and what should they be?