To trust Michigan school districts or not to trust them; should that be the question? The state abolished any questions of the quality of education in various districts by implementing the High School Proficiency Exam in February, 1996. Controversy has surrounded the exam from its conception. The state is finally taking steps that acknowledge the problems, yet they continue to ignore the ill reflection standardized tests have on a student's ability.
Students were the first to recognize the test's poor construction. With 100,000 high school juniors taking the first HSPE in a trial run, only one-third were declared "proficient" in writing and science, 40 percent in reading and 50 percent in math. These were not "novice" students as the test reported - many were college-bound with high GPAs and extensive extracurricular involvement. Yet, in accordance with the test, they were not deemed worthy of receiving a state-endorsed diploma.
Parents were the next to acknowledge HPSE's faultiness. A clause in the legislation that established the test allows parents to exempt their children from the exam. In voicing concerns that the HSPE is a "high-risk, low-yield" test, students and their parents began following a trend against standardized testing.
After a year and a half of criticism, the state House passed a one-year moratorium on labeling students "novice" in May. Students who earned a "proficient" score will still get endorsements on their transcripts and diplomas, yet the mid-grade "novice" label will not be used. Currently, all scores are printed in students' transcripts, estimating their future performance abilities on the results of one high-school test - a bad proposition that fails to account for possible improvement in students' future.
The moratorium will grant the state legislature time to review problems and questions raised by those affected by the HSPE. While buying time, the state needs to look at the reasoning for the use and accuracy of the HSPE. The results of the HSPE may give parents a false view of the quality of individual school districts - potentially causing them to remove their children from districts that receive low scores. It also creates a system by which to judge each institution; exam performance is not an accurate measure of districts' success.
Changes are necessary to ensure all students have a fair shot at achieving proficiency in the state's eyes. As the HSPE stands, students who are not college-bound are not often endorsed by the state. This elitism is just one of the problems that the state must address during the moratorium.
Standardized tests do not currently offer any conclusive information about the academic potential of students. If only one-third of students achieved a "proficient" rating in writing and science during the HPSE's trial run, there is an obvious lack of communication and understanding between districts and the state. The state must bridge the gap and seriously reconsider the value and format of the HSPE.
09-03-97
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