Supporting a Position

Supporting a position on mandated exit exams by high school students is a very touchy subject by many tax payers in the United States. The two articles that I research have opposing views on why high school exit exams are good and why they are not so good.

The first article thinks that it is not a bad thing but thinks that it will take away from much needed classroom time by testing the student or preparing the student for the test. This article also discusses the funding side of this issue. "This could not only mean another unfunded mandate, it could mean more loss in instructional time and more standardized tests for students," (Panian, 2008)

The second article states that these types of exams have little to no affect on the graduation rate of high school students. Many people seem to think that these tests have something to do with a high dropout rate amongst seniors. "This study cannot directly speak to whether such exams are effective at providing quality controls on high school diplomas." (Academic Onefile, 2004) This site explains that the test has not affected the dropout or graduation rate but it does not tell if the student earned a quality education by passing the mandated