Lowering the Standards Increases the OUTCOMES

Outcomes based education requires pre-defined endpoints. Our educational system defines endpoints as "passing" and "graduating." The epitome of cover your ass; as long as the kid passes he's out of MY hair. He's YOUR problem now. CYA.

The No Child Left Behind Act has granted states autonomy in determining minimum proficiencies necessary to graduate or pass a grade. What's easier than fixing a problem? Working around it. If kids can't meet the standards, let's lower them. Outcomes-based education just needs outcomes, who cares how we GET there? Why jump over a hurdle when you can just walk around it?

An independent research group recently released a study, looking at twelve state's performances on state proficiency exam scores versus national proficiency exam scores. The results were not pretty. Ideal results would be similar scores on state and national exams. The results were unanimously dismal; students scores were significantly higher on state exams. At least I passed!

Outcomes based education has also yielded outcomes-based teaching. Classes have become Kaplan test-prep centers. Teachers have become automatons. Students have become bored. We've created a binary education system: pass or fail. Nothin in between. At least I passed! America has become a stagnant educational pool. Our kids are just wading. Our kids are just waiting.

School accountability will become a major issue in public debate. At least until the current election season is over. We all deserve "participant" medals.

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