Perhaps adults need exit exams

The release of the high school exit-exam results has fanned the flames again in the debate over high-stakes testing. Supporters say it's about time we measure English and math skills gained in the classroom before awarding high-school diplomas.

Opponents claim the tests unfairly punish students who, for a variety of reasons, are unable to demonstrate what they've learned on a single, timed test.

Administrators are caught in the middle. It's politically unwise for them to resist the setting of measurable goals, but they know test scores are influenced by factors beyond their control. They worry about losing federal funds if scores do not rise to meet national standards. Some superintendents have begun looking for ways for their schools to survive without federal dollars.

Everyone seems to agree school accountability is a good thing and long overdue. What they disagree about is who should be held accountable for what, how success is measured, and what consequences should follow a failure to meet expectations.

So far the accountability falls entirely on students, and nobody can feel very good about how their test scores track so closely with their family income and English language skills.

But help is on the way for local students who've been unable to pass the exams despite several attempts. MiraCosta College has announced a plan for students to earn their high school diplomas the old-fashioned way —— by passing high school level courses on its campus without having to confront their testing nemesis another time.

The college's well-meaning detour around the tests may eventually render the exit exam meaningless, while adding yet another layer of taxpayer-borne instructional costs. Why should passing a high school course on a college campus be a better indicator of subject matter mastery than passing it in high school? The unavoidable answer is we've lost confidence in our high school teachers.

The pressure of high-stakes tests is also being felt in elementary schools. A local third-grade teacher has been reprimanded for helping her students mark the correct answers on a statewide test. With teacher evaluations and school funding now hanging in the balance, it's not hard to figure out why.

Permitting a detour around the exit exam and increasing the temptation for teachers to cheat on tests are just two of the reasons high-stakes testing is unlikely to improve our public schools.

We know what distinguishes a good school from a poor one: the level of parental support, teacher and administrator competence, and the adequacy of instructional resources.

Maybe it's time for a No School Left Behind initiative featuring high-stakes tests designed especially for parents, teachers, administrators and elected officials. Annual results could be published as widely as student test scores, with appropriate consequences to follow for each group failing to meet its goals.

Contact North County Times columnist Richard Riehl at .