(Post Gazette) “At present, students in the state's 501 school districts must show they meet state proficiency standards. But they can do so by either scoring proficient or advanced on the 11th grade Pennsylvania System of School Assessment exam (PSSA) or by showing proficiency on an equivalent local assessment.”
Now, a panel appointed by Governor Rendell, wants to use the PSSA exam only, eliminating the option of using an equivalent local assessment.
The effort to guarantee a minimum efficiency level for high school graduation is commendable, but the devil is in the details. Unfortunately, the PSSA has a history of asking non-academic, psychological questions, usually with "collectivist” goals. These abuses were brought before a PA House Committee in 2000. (HR 495 - Final Report) Let us hope that the PSSA sticks to testing academic achievement as opposed to attempting social engineering.
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