Re: Reforming Education

Chuck Kuecker (ckuecker@mcs.net)
Tue, 05 Oct 1999 18:40:33 -0500

At 03:28 PM 10/5/1999 MDT, you wrote:
>
>How about an agency that creates tests covering all materials and difficulty
>to test students understanding of several areas. Each school submits all
>subjects being taught (not material) and then the students will be tested on
>those subjects ranging all difficulties of the subjects. The results would
>then be compiled and compared with other schools. The schools would credit
>the student (thus verifying the students abilities to employers and the rest
>of society) and the agency would rate the schools.
>

Here in Illinois, the public schools have tests like these now. The state mandates the tests and the schools are rated according to test scores. Poor schools have been put on 'hit lists' until they bring up their grades.

The only problem is that if the state does this, it's just another bureaucracy to get out of control. Private testing on the order of what UL Labs does for electrical appliances, perhaps? A school could earn a 'Better Housekeeping Seal of Approval'...

Chuck Kuecker