It’s unfortunate, but not surprising, that Massachusetts’ graduation rate does not make the top 10 in the nation (“Mass. schools miss key top-10 list,” Metro, Nov. 27). An important reason is our high school graduation test. The National Academy of Sciences found that exit exams lower graduation rates. Yet they do not improve educational quality or student success in college or work.
Using exit exams to ensure that students possess adequate knowledge and skills does not work. Our New England neighbors and nine out of the 11 states with higher graduation rates do not require students to pass a graduation test.
Comments
Why require pesky basic skills to graduate? Knowing how to read and do basic math never helped anyone in the real world anyway. Sad commentary...