Test Dilemma

The fact that many students entire futures are determined just by the passing or failing one of the five high stakes tests is completely ridiculous. I completely agree with my classmate Madeline Shapland.

Basically students could invest hours of work into school having straight A's, perfect attendance, and becoming an honor roll student yet be denied not only their much deserved diplomas but their hopes and dreams to achieve greater things in life."Students who do not graduate simply because they failed one high-stakes exam cannot attend most colleges, join the military or qualify for even some minimum wage jobs. Many "drop out" even though they may have passed course requirements"( Houston Chronicle; March 17, 2015). What does a child do when they have all these scholarships to attend Ivy League schools, but cannot attend do to inability to pass a single test?

Just as Madeline stated Texas did not take into account students who suffer from test anxiety or just do very poorly on tests but excel in other skills.It is hard to understand the reasoning for why Texas would implement a testing system with such sever consequences. The simple fact that 28,000 students may not graduate since the test was  implemented should be an automatic red flag that is may not be the best choice.

But the part that really gets me fired up is that even though 28,000 students may not receive their diplomas it is stated, " This statistic might be a sad but necessary consequence of educational accountability if these exams measured the skills sought by employers."