Education takes more than an exam

Spectrum

Everyone wants their children to receive a good education. I know I would like my son to have a quality education. The question before us, all of us, whether we have children or not, is how to achieve that goal.

Today's educational climate seems to be more about "quick fixes" rather than establishing solid objectives. There isn't any doubt that we have academic problems, considering the collective test scores received by Alaska's students on the benchmark exams already given related to the High School Exit Exam. Will requiring the exit exam rectify that problem? It may, but I believe it faces significant hurdles when it comes to insuring our students receive a well rounded education.

If we institute a standardized test for the whole state, there are several issues that may arise. First and foremost, any test that is standardized or established in such a way that the questions and answers are fairly consistent, you open the door for narrowing instruction considerations to insure student competency based on those specific set of questions.

Known as "teaching for the test," this does occur in other educational- type arenas. The only way to forestall "teaching for the test" would be to develop an extensive array of questions that could be rotated from one testing period to the next. — an endeavor which could prove quite expensive.

Another consideration I feel isn't being addressed by the way the exit exam is being formulated deals with students themselves. It may be "politically correct" to try and put all of us in the same box, but that ignores natural realities. There are and will continue to be differences in both academic ability and vocational desires. I haven't seen the finished product yet, so maybe this concern is off base; however, I am not sure a young person interested in carpentry needs the same kind of education as a student who may wish to be a scientist.

It appears to me that different goals and aspirations of our students should be taken into account before standardizing any scholastic exams dealing with benchmarks. I would suggest a young man desiring to be a carpenter, and who can show reasonable competency in reading, writing and basic math is as entitled to a diploma as some other student who can whiz through physics or calculus.

Last of all, it should be apparent to Alaskans at least that a standardized test neglects to recognize language barriers and other cultural differences. In such cases, rigid standards or expectations may be detrimental to our student's academic achievement and should probably be allowed to evolve in different ways and at different rates.

I am not sure whether delaying implementation of the High School Exit Exam will have any major effect on the quality of education received by our youth. Holding young people to a set standard may improve their marketable skills, but what about the need for broadening their horizons?

As a society, we seem to have many answers when it comes to "fixing" education; however, nobody seems to see our current social structure as having considerable influence over the problems we face. Maybe we ought to reconsider our responsibilities as parents, teachers, administrators and citizens when looking to solve the educational dilemma faced by our children.

Rep. Beverly Masek, a Republican, represents Willow in the Alaska House of Representatives.