Alabama's Board of Education is considering doing away with the high school graduation exam, a change that would be implemented beginning with the 2011 school year.
If we were members of the Board, we'd vote to scrap the test.
For those out-of-staters who may not have taken a high school graduation exam, it's a standardized test spanning five subjects with the goal of evaluating students' grasp of fundamental content and their readiness for graduation.
The test is first administered during students' sophomore year, with several opportunities to re-take the sections if they fail.
But how many students drop out discouraged before getting a chance to retake, having failed the test the first time?
We feel that the AHSGE doesn't necessarily equip students with a stronger education and that it also presents unfair situations.
Many of us recall a week when material was crammed in preparation of the test.
We think regular course work would serve as a better learning experience than temporarily memorizing this specific information.
Also, it makes no sense that a student can pass all of his or her classes, completing all required course work, but still be denied a diploma because he or she couldn't complete a section of the exit exam.
Granted, it's probably a rare scenario that a student passes all courses, yet can't complete the graduation exam, but some students do not test well.
Add a weakness in a particular subject and the nerves of knowing your immediate future hinges on this test and you have a situation that could end disastrously for a hard-working student.
Looking at the situation from a more objective standpoint, many states do not require an exit exam and rank much higher in academic achievement than Alabama.
New Hampshire, Vermont and Connecticut rank in the top six of "educational effectiveness," according to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. None of these states require high school graduation exams.
Alabama ranks fourth from last.
Many, many factors contribute to these rankings, sure, but if these states are so far ahead of ours, maybe we should take a page out of their book on education, and flunk out the exit exam.
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