Comments on: States wimp out on exit exams http://www.joannejacobs.com/2008/05/pass-to-graduate-or-not/ Free-linking and thinking on education by Joanne Jacobs Wed, 17 Mar 2010 19:32:34 -0700 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: David http://www.joannejacobs.com/2008/05/pass-to-graduate-or-not/comment-page-1/#comment-76542 David Tue, 27 May 2008 13:52:28 +0000 http://joannejacobs.com/2008/05/23/pass-to-graduate-or-not/#comment-76542 As a partial step towards a solution, how about working on a way to rein in the rampant proliferation in graduation ceremonies? "Commencement" events for completing every grade serve both to trivialize the significance of real milestones, and to magnify the pressures for grade inflation and relaxing standards to avoid forcing people to live through the shame of not participating. As a partial step towards a solution, how about working on a way to rein in the rampant proliferation in graduation ceremonies? “Commencement” events for completing every grade serve both to trivialize the significance of real milestones, and to magnify the pressures for grade inflation and relaxing standards to avoid forcing people to live through the shame of not participating.

]]> By: Catch Thirty-Thr33 http://www.joannejacobs.com/2008/05/pass-to-graduate-or-not/comment-page-1/#comment-76364 Catch Thirty-Thr33 Sun, 25 May 2008 19:04:38 +0000 http://joannejacobs.com/2008/05/23/pass-to-graduate-or-not/#comment-76364 What is sad is that even if states DO stand firmly by their "graduation exams", you will see the same phenomenon I do every year at this time in TX: whining and crying parents and students, demanding the RIGHT (after all, the high school diploma and graduation ceremony are birthrights in this country, are they not???) to get a high school diploma and participate in that most grossly overrated of life's events - high school graduation - with their friends. The states cannot win. Enforce standards, make graduations MEAN something, and put up with whining anc crying parents and students (who vote). Don't enforce standards, they will ALL be made SO HAPPY - but the entire purpose of schooling flies out the window. What is sad is that even if states DO stand firmly by their “graduation exams”, you will see the same phenomenon I do every year at this time in TX: whining and crying parents and students, demanding the RIGHT (after all, the high school diploma and graduation ceremony are birthrights in this country, are they not???) to get a high school diploma and participate in that most grossly overrated of life’s events – high school graduation – with their friends.

The states cannot win. Enforce standards, make graduations MEAN something, and put up with whining anc crying parents and students (who vote). Don’t enforce standards, they will ALL be made SO HAPPY – but the entire purpose of schooling flies out the window.

]]> By: Life's Managers http://www.joannejacobs.com/2008/05/pass-to-graduate-or-not/comment-page-1/#comment-76359 Life's Managers Sun, 25 May 2008 18:24:16 +0000 http://joannejacobs.com/2008/05/23/pass-to-graduate-or-not/#comment-76359 Dear Miss Cami, You are being penalized for your not being good at something. One might even say that it is the nature of penalties that they are issued in response to failures. People go to jail for moral failures; people receive fouls in sports for impulse control failures; bankers get fired for mathematical errors. If you feel so strongly about your being penalized for your failures in the field of mathematics, perhaps you should abandon this "high school" thing and try something more suited to your talents, whatever those are. Sincerely, The Management Dear Miss Cami,

You are being penalized for your not being good at something. One might even say that it is the nature of penalties that they are issued in response to failures. People go to jail for moral failures; people receive fouls in sports for impulse control failures; bankers get fired for mathematical errors.

If you feel so strongly about your being penalized for your failures in the field of mathematics, perhaps you should abandon this “high school” thing and try something more suited to your talents, whatever those are.

Sincerely,

The Management

]]> By: Tom http://www.joannejacobs.com/2008/05/pass-to-graduate-or-not/comment-page-1/#comment-76221 Tom Sat, 24 May 2008 15:16:52 +0000 http://joannejacobs.com/2008/05/23/pass-to-graduate-or-not/#comment-76221 I'd love to know which states "test all the time". My 7th grader had two sets of standarized tests here in Georgia: ITBS in Fall and state CRCTs in the Spring. I don't think this is enough... testing more, not less, is the way to go. De-emphasize the one-shot mentality of testing so that students learn that testing can measure your progress. I’d love to know which states “test all the time”. My 7th grader had two sets of standarized tests here in Georgia: ITBS in Fall and state CRCTs in the Spring. I don’t think this is enough… testing more, not less, is the way to go. De-emphasize the one-shot mentality of testing so that students learn that testing can measure your progress.

]]> By: anon http://www.joannejacobs.com/2008/05/pass-to-graduate-or-not/comment-page-1/#comment-76216 anon Sat, 24 May 2008 14:41:13 +0000 http://joannejacobs.com/2008/05/23/pass-to-graduate-or-not/#comment-76216 Kate said, "Her “good grades” are probably the result of handing in crafts projects." No, her good grades are much more likely to be the result of rampant grade inflation at all levels of education. Kate said, “Her “good grades” are probably the result of handing in crafts projects.”

No, her good grades are much more likely to be the result of rampant grade inflation at all levels of education.

]]> By: Stephen Downes http://www.joannejacobs.com/2008/05/pass-to-graduate-or-not/comment-page-1/#comment-76212 Stephen Downes Sat, 24 May 2008 13:56:52 +0000 http://joannejacobs.com/2008/05/23/pass-to-graduate-or-not/#comment-76212 > How did she pass her math classes? When you test people all the time, people learn how to pass tests instead of learning the subject matter. That's why you shouldn't test all the time, and why tests are not a reliable measure of achievement. > How did she pass her math classes?

When you test people all the time, people learn how to pass tests instead of learning the subject matter.

That’s why you shouldn’t test all the time, and why tests are not a reliable measure of achievement.

]]> By: What does a high school diploma mean? « Bohemian Booklover http://www.joannejacobs.com/2008/05/pass-to-graduate-or-not/comment-page-1/#comment-76208 What does a high school diploma mean? « Bohemian Booklover Sat, 24 May 2008 13:16:29 +0000 http://joannejacobs.com/2008/05/23/pass-to-graduate-or-not/#comment-76208 [...] woke up this morning to a post in my Bloglines inbox by Joanne Jacobs wondering how someone could pass high school math classes without understanding math.  How, [...] [...] woke up this morning to a post in my Bloglines inbox by Joanne Jacobs wondering how someone could pass high school math classes without understanding math.  How, [...]

]]> By: thaprof http://www.joannejacobs.com/2008/05/pass-to-graduate-or-not/comment-page-1/#comment-76204 thaprof Sat, 24 May 2008 12:29:39 +0000 http://joannejacobs.com/2008/05/23/pass-to-graduate-or-not/#comment-76204 Governor Napolitano is simply trying to help out a key component of her political base: the dumb. Governor Napolitano is simply trying to help out a key component of her political base: the dumb.

]]> By: Kate http://www.joannejacobs.com/2008/05/pass-to-graduate-or-not/comment-page-1/#comment-76157 Kate Sat, 24 May 2008 03:34:12 +0000 http://joannejacobs.com/2008/05/23/pass-to-graduate-or-not/#comment-76157 Penalized for something she's not good at? She's not all that swift with English, either. Her "good grades" are probably the result of handing in crafts projects. Penalized for something she’s not good at? She’s not all that swift with English, either. Her “good grades” are probably the result of handing in crafts projects.

]]>