Texas trails most major states in graduating students from college, which remains a prerequisite for achievement in an economy driven by knowledge. Texas cannot afford to educate only a sliver of its youth beyond 12th grade if it plans to remain an economic powerhouse. But along with more students comes the need to better assess performance. University of Texas at Austin President Larry Faulkner told this editorial page Thursday that the two are intricately linked. Legislators should be careful and creative as they pursue collegiate accountability, however.
Standardized tests work well for secondary schools because the curriculum is more universal.
By contrast, colleges often teach the same subject differently. Policymakers should forgo the idea of a uniform exam while pursuing other creative ways to measure college performance. Gov. Perry also wants to double state funds for the Texas Grant scholarship program so that more students can enroll in college. The fact that many young Texans will increasingly come from poor, minority families places a special responsibility on legislators to follow Gov. Perry's lead and ensure more dollars flow into this program. We need efficient, competitive universities.