The Texas Education Agency is celebrating. The number of Texas public schools that earned "exemplary" or "recognized" under the state accountability ratings jumped dramatically in 2010. Yes! Our kids are getting smarter!
But wait -- here's how it happened. The Agency instituted a whole bunch of exemptions that allow schools to count students who failed the TAKS test as having passed. The justification is that the students just might pass it if they take it again. I'm wondering -- do they get to count the student again if he does pass it later? Do they get to count the student every time he fails it? With some of the students failing multiple times, that could really boost the passing rates!
Proponents of the system say that it's a reliable projection. I say what's even more reliable is reporting how many students actually passed and how many actually failed.
Using the agency theory, we should go ahead and award high school diplomas at Kindergarten graduation, because all those little tykes may eventually earn one. An added bonus to that plan is that the drop-out rate will take a dramatic dive!
"With an assist, school ratings up." The Dallas Morning News; July 31, 2010; p. 1A.
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1 comment:
Good grief...there is NO COMMON SENSE anymore!!! That's just NUTS!
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