Save money and improve education at the same time: A suggestion

Sent to the Los Angeles Daily News, Dec 15.

Re: "Gov.-elect Jerry Brown says money for schools could be chopped by up to 20-25 percent," Dec, 15.

California can save a lot of money by eliminating programs that aren’t doing any good. A good place to start is the High School Exit Exam.

Analyst Jo Ann Behm has estimated that the combined state and local costs of California's high school exit exam exceed $500 million per year.

The most recent review of research on exit exams, done by researchers at the University of Texas, concluded that high school exit exams do not lead to more college attendance, increased student learning or higher employment.

In fact, researchers have yet to discover any benefits of having a High School Exit Exam.

Stephen Krashen, Ph.D.

Professor Emeritus

University of Southern California

Most recent review: Holme, J., Richards, M., Jimerson, J., and Cohen, R. 2010. Assessing the effects of high school exit examinations. Review of Educational Research 80 (4): 476-526.

http://www.dailynews.com/ci_16857249?source=most_emailed