Graduation Requirements Executive Summary

I had the opportunity to attend the Superintendent’s Advisory Council this week at MIU 4. The following is a summary of findings from a study by the governor’s office. Common sense may rule the day. Unfortunately it has come after the state has spent tens of millions of dollars. Feeling frustrated yet!!! Some highlights follow.

Graduation Requirements Executive Summary

FINDINGS

1.       Among high school graduates from the class of 2015, barely 50% scored proficient on all three Keystone exams.

2.       Passing high school exit exams is not the sole valid measure of mastery of a standards-based core subject matter.

3.       Passing high school exit exams does not indicate postsecondary readiness.

4.       The Project Based Assessment, PBA, has been proven to be ineffective and inefficient strategy to demonstrate mastery.

RECOMMENDATIONS

1.       Adopt/Implement 4 options to demonstrate proficiency:

Option 1 = pass the three tests (algebra, biology, literature)

Option 2 = pass an alternate assessment approved by PDE for algebra, biology, or literature

Option 3 = demonstrate competency in standards-based subject matter content through course grades or assessments plus, for students who are identified as career and technical education (CTE) concentrators, demonstrate evidence of readiness for postsecondary success through NOCTI or NIMS assessments, competency certificates

Option 4 = demonstrate competency in standards-based subject matter content through course grades or assessments plus evidence related to postsecondary plans that demonstrate readiness to meaningfully engage those plans (graduation portfolio).

2.       Discontinue PBA (project based assessment)

3.       Allow LEA to determine whether or not to include Keystone exams scores on student transcripts