In 2003, Bridget Green was thrilled to learn she would be the valedictorian of her New Orleans high school. Only days later, however, she learned that she had failed to pass the Louisiana graduation exam. Eventually, on her seventh attempt, she passed—by a single point.
Green's story makes the case that state graduation exams serve as useful checks on the value of a diploma. In this case, her school failed her by handing out A's for material that was never learned.
Via Mostly Cajun, All American and Opinionated [1], “Tests expose flawed diplomas [2]”
It used to be that in the US (United States), students would be enrolled in regular (if maybe very basic or remedial) classes and taught in English only; today an immigrant student is more likely to be taught in their native language (well, most likely if Spanish) and no (or very little) immersion in English.
Curious, I asked Wlofie about immigrant education in Sweden and (if I get this right) Sweden will have a student to a year or so of full immersion in learning the Swedish langauge, then go into regular class rooms, which seems much better than either the old US “sink or swim” method, or the “native language teaching” the US is using now.
I don't know why I thought of that when reading the above article (well, other than the abysmal drop in quality of US primary schools over the past few decades when even a valedictorial can't even pass a graduation exam) but at some point the educational system has to implode, right? Right?
Please?
[1] http://mostlycajun.com/wordpress/?p=1885
[2] http://www.usatoday.com/news/opinion/2006-07-24-graduation-exams-