Without accountability, there is no reform. High stakes are not punitive, if the standards and assessments are fair, as I believe ours to be. A high school diploma is not an entitlement. It is something that must be earned through effort and achievement. Moreover, acquiring a diploma is not what education is about.
Education is about acquiring knowledge and skill.
It is unfair and unethical to hand young people a piece of paper and tell them they are ready for success when they are not. Aggregate MCAS performance in 2000 across all grades in both English and math is consistent with NAEP data. The average failure rates in English and math mask declining performance through the grades. Specifically, average MCAS failure rates rise 10-15 points with each grade level, from 11 percent in 4 th grade to 37 percent in 10 th grade. These failure rates are clearly unacceptable.