Social Promotion To A Diploma In Maryland

Beginning in with the class of 2009, the State of Maryland will be requiring graduating seniors pass a series of subject matter exams in order to receive their diploma. The exit exams are designed to be on the 10th grade level and students can begin taking the tests at that time and may take each subject matter test a number of times in order to pass.

Of course, a whole group of people, namely those who think that requiring a standardized test is bad, objected and today, State Superintendent Nancy Grasmick has outlined a plan that would allow students to still graduate

but can't pass the High School Assessment exams in one or more subjects because of test-taking anxiety or other factors...Education officials believe the alternative to the test will essentially prevent the state from denying diplomas to students who would have graduated otherwise.(emphasis added)

For some reason the words "social promotion" are popping into my head.

If these kids can take tests in school without "anxiety" why are they now anxious about taking an exit exam that they can take again and again over the course of three years in order to pass? Presumably these kids did not suffer test anxiety on other standardized tests, for say their driver's license or the other state wide tests given to them earlier in their academic career. It is not like the format of the test is going to change all that much and one would think that with familiarization, the anxiety level is going to go down. Here is my prediction, in the fall of 2008 and early 2009, you will see a large number of students who have not passed the HSAs being diagnosed with "test anxiety," a new form of disability that will allow Maryland high school students to graduate without having to meet all the requirements, namely passing the HSAs.

Under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, the state is required to make all reasonable acomoodations for test taking, particularly the HSAs. So, for example, those with diagnosed reading problems like dyslexia, are given extra time. But with "test anxiety" diagnoses are accommodated by not having to take and pass the test--at all!! So by merely showing up to school (admittedly an important requirement) and getting barely passing grades, a student can graduate from high school without having to demonstrate any competency on skills the state of Maryland has deemed important. The value of a Maryland High school diploma is going to plummet.

What makes this practice any different than promoting some seventh grader who has not masterd the necessary skills to 8th grade? How is this going to prepare our kids for the workforce or college, where "tests" are common and employers/professors don't give a hoot about your "test anxiety" condition?

Can someone please explain to me why this is not just social promotion to a diploma?