Here's an easy fix. Peter Schmidt has proven that "State High-School Exit Tests do Not Improve Academic Achievement." Here's the link.
If a Governor is interested in long-term solutions to their budget crisis, a reasonable plan is to cut and even eliminate expenses for items that don't do any good.
Start with the High School Exit Exam! California spends about $250 million each year just for remedial instruction for this exam, and millions more for administration and scoring. Recent research done by scholars at Indiana University has shown that state high school exit exams do not lead to more college completion, higher employment, or higher earnings by graduates. Researchers at the University of California Davis and the University of Minnesota have reported that exit exams do not result in improved academic achievement. In fact, researchers have yet to discover any benefits of having a High School Exit Exam.
Dumping this needless exam would save a billion dollars every few years, and might inspire similar steps for additional savings.
Ka-Ching!
(tip to sdkrashen's mailing list)
