According to the paper, the plan madates three exams in English, three in social studies, two in science and two in math. Each test would be given at the end of a course. Currently, Md. requires students only to meet the requirements of a course and pass a series of competency tests prior to graduation. Several problems loom before the board's plan is implemented. State officials question whether the exams can weather legal challenges.
Money is another obstacle.
Finn and Vanourek take a critical look at a rising education fad, service-learning, which requires that students perform a certain number of hours of community service before they graduate from high school. Currently, the state of Maryland requires that all its high school students fulfill a service-learning requirement. While the program has the best of intentions, Finn and Vanourek note that schools may want to focus on teaching the fundamentals before they embark on a citizenship agenda. They also inquire into the political slant of many service-learning programs, the tension between a school's prerogative and parents rights, and the potential conflict between mandatory activism and individual conscience. The Thomas B. Fordham Foundation is affiliated with the Manhattan Institute for Policy Research .