American Scholar

[Jolly]

Proposal:

A national high school exit exam.

It can't be mandatory, that wouldn't fly. But the prestige factor might make it into something routinely taken by graduating high school seniors. And if it becomes ubiquitous enough, teachers will start to morph their lesson plans to accommodate the test and school districts will change their curricula.

Call it the American Scholar Certification.

We're not talking about a super-hard, college entrance type test. Rather, we're trying to give a leg up to those kids who graduate high school with actual lower high school level knowledge rather than graduating with a totally useless attendance degree.

Here's what I'd like to see:

1. Math at least at the business math level, with preferably Algebra I level competence.
2. English reading and comprehension at the ninth grade level.
3. Basic civics knowledge...Branches of government, bill passage process, some basic Constitution and Bill of Rights, and voting rights and responsibilities knowledge.
4. Rudimentary computer skills.
5. Basic American history knowledge...Declaration of Independence, Revolutionary War, Westward Expansion, Civil War, Gilded Age and Industrialization, WW1, Great Depression, WW2, Cold War, Vietnam and Gulf War. Nothing super in depth, just a cursory knowledge of why things occurred, when they occurred and the outcomes.
6. Basic life skills...Knowledge of how to balance a checking account, difference between saving and investing, simple loan knowledge, credit score awareness.

I don't think that's too much to ask.

[Copper]

This would make some people unequal.

That would be evil.

[Jolly]

DEI must DIE.

[jon-nyc]

NYS has that. It’s called the Regents diploma. I think it entitles you to a small scholarship to the state schools.

I don’t know the exact details, it was around when I graduated and it’s around now. But it seemed more or less what you describe. Not AP level, but solid. It may have been diluted over the years though. It requires you take five exams in different subjects. Algebra 1 is the minimum.

[Jolly]

We've got a scholarship program - TOPS. Florida has Bright Futures. Other states have other programs.

I'm not looking for a scholarship program or even something that costs very much money at all. There is a certain level of student graduating high school with a diploma, that can't function at a sixth grade level. I'd like to see something that covers the country in a single, optional test, that separates a kid who can function in an entry level job, from the flotsam and jetsam barely floating across the educational sea.

[jon-nyc]

This is first and firmest a diploma credential. It’s 5 exams.

To earn a Regents Diploma in New York State, students must pass five required Regents exams with a score of 65 or higher. These exams cover core academic subjects:

1. English Language Arts (ELA)
   • Exam: Regents Examination in English Language Arts
   • Focuses on reading comprehension, textual analysis, and essay writing.

2. Mathematics
   • Students must pass one of the following math exams:
   • Algebra I
   • Geometry
   • Algebra II

3. Social Studies
   • Students must pass one of the following social studies exams:
   • Global History and Geography
   • U.S. History and Government

4. Science
   • Students must pass one of the following science exams:
   • Living Environment (Biology)
   • Earth Science
   • Chemistry
   • Physics

5. Pathway Exam or Additional Regents Exam
   • Students must pass one additional exam in any of the following categories:
   • An additional Regents exam in math, science, or social studies.
   • A Career and Technical Education (CTE) pathway exam.
   • A state-approved arts assessment.
   • A LOTE (Languages Other Than English) exam.

Notes:
• Advanced Regents Diploma requires passing additional exams (e.g., more math and science exams) and completing requirements in a foreign language or CTE program.
• Some students with disabilities may qualify for exemptions or alternative pathways to graduation.

These exams aim to ensure that students meet statewide academic standards in core subjects before graduating high school.

[jon-nyc]

It isn’t exactly what you’re talking about but it’s more than what most states have.

[Doctor Phibes]

Massachusetts has just repealed the requirement to pass MCAS in order to receive a high school diploma as a ballot question on the 2024 election.

To be honest, if you're lucky enough to go to a good school and live in a good area (one and the same thing), it doesn't make much difference. I kind of suspect the same is true if you're unlucky enough not to.