The professional lives of K-12 and higher education proceed in separate orbits. In some states, the governor's office is the most logical place to put these fractured standards systems together, but higher education leaders want to guard their political independence from gubernatorial and legislative specification of admissions criteria. Because each state has a distinctive K-12 standards and assessment system, it is not clear what can be done nationally. President Clinton's advocacy of a national voluntary test has died after protests about states' rights in education. Perhaps the College Board could assume a leadership role.
Some states provide examples of a possible resolution.
California tests each 11th grader for 400 minutes on math and language arts, and has additional state tests for science and social studies. Unlike Texas' TAAS test, the California state assessment is geared to university preparation needs. These tests could be reviewed by universities, and then incorporated within admission criteria. Something should be done to assist students, who increasingly are asked to pass a bewildering array of K-12 and higher education tests and assessments that might make sense individually, but that do not add up to a coherent whole. Michael W. Kirst is a professor of education at Stanford University.