Resolved: Public high school students in the United States ought not be required to pass standardize

this is an old topic from this last year. I expect to have a courteous debate with non-vulgar language. good luck to my opponent. This is going to be traditional LD style and rules with AC, NC/1NR, 1AR, 2NR, and 2AR. Whoever my opponent is, please forfeit the last round not b/c i hate u, but to stick with ld format. there are only 5 speeches in a normal round and there is an extra so just kindly scratch the last round. I wish you good luck. I affirm. Resolved: Public high school students in the United States ought not be required to pass standardized exit exams to graduate. Ought is used to express appropriateness (Merriam Webster online). Thus any evaluation of the resolution must analyze the practical value of standardized exit exams and their appropriateness to achieve the goals of the value. The resolution proposes a policy. Thus, like all policy decisions, standardized exit exams must be evaluated based on their empirical, real-world impact. This is true because policy decisions are not and should not be made without considering the impact on society at large. This is why policy makers, especially educators, use pilot programs before implementing changes. I value societal welfare. The end goal of education is to make society and its members productive, healthy and competitive. The best educated societies are also the most prosperous. In order to achieve the value of societal welfare I offer the criterion of ensuring a competitive workforce. In order for the U.S. to compete globally, we need to ensure our future workforce has the education necessary to tackle the major challenges and new technologies that will drive our economy for the next 100 years. A comprehensive education is critical for a strong workforce, a strong economy, and a prosperous society. Contention 1: Standardized Exit exams necessarily tie the success of the student to the success of the schools, thus teachers have an incentive to teach to the test rather than teach a more comprehensive skill set. Catherine Horn explains, "[The] important knowledge and skill set [supposedly focus on by standardized tests], often becomes myopically defined as a narrow, test-defined set of skills. Students focus on mastering only those competencies measured on the exam to the exclusion of others that may be educationally important but untested. Teachers foster those efforts by teaching to the content and tradition of the test. As empirical evidence suggests, increased high-stakes test scores do not equate to increased learning." This is problematic because the 21st Century economy requires more than the basic skills assessed by standardized exit exams, leading to an underprepared workforce. Horn continues, "Workers in the emerging labor market will be required to have far more than the basic skills of reading, writing, and math. The recurring skills needed for success in the new millennium also include proficiencies in technology, communication, problem-solving, and working with others. At best, the high-stakes tests are ensuring proficiency in only a subset of skills. At worst, the assessments may be leading to the under-preparation of students for the 21st century workforce. Given that research suggests content measured on high-stakes tests ultimately defines the curriculum, valuable skills may be lost because they are not tested and therefore not taught." A well-educated workforce is key to economic competitiveness. Dennis Jones of the National Center for Higher Education Management System explains: "The American way of life is fundamentally dependent on economic competitiveness. strong economies are characterized by an abundance of well-paying jobs; and overwhelmingly, well-paying jobs are held by individuals who have knowledge and skills obtained through education. Where physical capital drives industrial economies, human capital drives economies in the information age." Because standardized exit exams undermine America's workforce, they ought not be required to graduate. Contention Two: Standardized exit exams disproportionately harm minority and socioeconomically disadvantaged students. These poverty entrenching exams impact America's workforce, which has an overall negative impact on American societal and economic welfare. Standardized graduation exit exams increase drop out rates, especially among poor and minority students. G.J. Paulson explains, "One of the most consistent concerns associated with high school graduation exams is that failing the test, or even fear of failing the test, would convince some students to drop out of high school and not graduate. Performance on high stakes tests, has been found to be directly related to the socioeconomic status of students. with lower SES students earning lower scores. Lower achieving students were 25 percent more likely to drop out of high school. In addition, African American and Hispanic students consistently experience significantly higher dropout rates." Horn confirms: "While 82% of all White students have met the testing requirements necessary for graduation, only 41% of Hispanics and 48% of African Americans have met the same goal." Additionally, standardized exit exams lower SAT scores, especially among lower SES students. Paulson argues: "The requirement of a high school graduation examination had a significant negative impact on individual SAT scores. Further exploration of this effect revealed that all students without a graduation examination requirement significantly outperformed those student with the graduation requirement on the SAT. Colleges report their pools of minority applicants are being reduced by high school graduation exam requirements. High school graduation exam[s] may still be a detriment to higher education. A nondiversified workforce harms the United States' overall competitiveness in the global marketplace, impacting directly to societal welfare. Jones furthers: "The college attainment levels of African-Americans and Hispanics fall far below those required for the U.S. to remain competitive – and these are by far the fastest-growing groups among the country's young adult population. Without much greater success in educating students of color, the U.S. could fall into the ranks of second-class economic powers." The US must remain economically competitive to ensure societal welfare, thus I affirm.