Standard of Excellence

Every year in May, I get teary-eyed when I drive by a local high school and see a graduate racing in their cap and gown, with his parent following closely. Afraid that they're going to miss the event they've worked their entire life for. Hard to forget, is the image of a mother, drenched in her own tears of joy as she saw her son walk across the stage to receive nothing but a piece of paper. I reminisce the day I sat on the 40 yard line of Mustang Stadium with all my friends as we baked in the sun - and the infamous picture of Lester falling asleep during the ceremony.



But this sense of excitement won't be felt by about 47,000 high school seniors in California. Passed by the Supreme Court of the State, all high school seniors are REQUIRED to pass the high school exit exam in order to graduate. No if's and's or but's. People are screaming at the fact that this criteria was removed weeks before the exam, and now reimplemented. They say the officials are "messing with people's feelings."

There really is nothing wrong with measuring a students' level of retention after 4 years of "toiling." With a few exceptions I can think of, there really is no reason why a person who's worked hard at passing the test, can't pass it. If indeed, a student can not pass the test, then that shows s/he is not at the aptitude of a California high school graduate. I am not a proponent of standardized tests. But in hearing no complaints about the fairness of the test, I have to say that the 47,000 seniors hanging in the balance, better start thinking about summer school.