CNN.com - Study: High school exit tests flimsy - Jun 10, 2004: "
TALLAHASSEE, Florida (AP) -- High school graduation tests are not 'overly demanding' and measure only a small part of the skills considered essential by colleges and employers, according to a study of the exams in six states.
For instance, the math portion of the tests includes material generally taught, internationally, in the eighth grade. And questions that were designed to measure basic comprehension made up half of the reading portion of the tests.
Achieve Inc., a nonprofit group that promotes higher academic standards, looked at the high school graduation tests of Florida, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Ohio and Texas.
Nearly half of all states have high school graduation exams. The six states that volunteered for the study enroll nearly a quarter of the nation's high school students.
The Achieve report, released Wednesday, concluded that the exams in the six states cover 'material that most students study early in their high school careers' and that the passing scores established by the states reflect 'modest expectations.'"
TALLAHASSEE, Florida (AP) -- High school graduation tests are not 'overly demanding' and measure only a small part of the skills considered essential by colleges and employers, according to a study of the exams in six states.
For instance, the math portion of the tests includes material generally taught, internationally, in the eighth grade. And questions that were designed to measure basic comprehension made up half of the reading portion of the tests.
Achieve Inc., a nonprofit group that promotes higher academic standards, looked at the high school graduation tests of Florida, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Ohio and Texas.
Nearly half of all states have high school graduation exams. The six states that volunteered for the study enroll nearly a quarter of the nation's high school students.
The Achieve report, released Wednesday, concluded that the exams in the six states cover 'material that most students study early in their high school careers' and that the passing scores established by the states reflect 'modest expectations.'"
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