Oregon No Longer Requires Proficiency In Writing, Reading, And Math To Graduate High School

This vote continues a policy that was voted upon in 2020, and will be up for renewal in 2029.

Many Oregonians and opponents to this legislation, had voiced their opinions that this could not be allowed to continue and doing so marred the value of a diploma from the state.

But proponents didn’t see it their way and the Board voted all in-favor to lessen the degree to obtain a diploma.

According to the Oregonian,

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But leaders at the Oregon Department of Education and members of the state school board said requiring all students to pass one of several standardized tests or create an in-depth assignment their teacher judged as meeting state standards was a harmful hurdle for historically marginalized students, a misuse of state tests and did not translate to meaningful improvements in students’ post high school success.

Higher rates of students of color, students learning English as a second language and students with disabilities ended up having to take intensive senior-year writing and math classes to prove they deserved a diploma. That denied those students the opportunity to take an elective, despite the lack of evidence the extra academic work helped them in the workplace or at college, they said.

Board members underscored that state-mandated standardized tests will still be administered to most Oregon high school students – they just won’t be used to determine whether a student has the skills necessary to graduate.

Oregon lawmakers, however, have mandated that families be told each year that they can opt their student out of taking state tests – and one third of high school juniors didn’t take the tests last spring, meaning they and their families don’t necessarily know how they measure up against statewide academic standards.

Suspending the requirement at least until the class of 2029 gives the state more time to do community outreach about how best to overhaul the grad standards, Farley said, and gives future high school students plenty of time to prepare if this standard does resume.

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Guadalupe Martinez Zapata, chair of the Board, reported by KATU 2, said that the assessments marginalizing students of color and those disabilities.

We are unable to ethically make a different decision at this point. It is also unethical for us to continue to require this when we know it can continue to cause harm and has had no change in how students are performing.

She said

Christine Drazan, a former member of the Board, who opposed and suspended the bill in 2021 that would have made Governor Kate Ivey’s mandate ratified, also spoke out against this latest passage of the new standards. In a news release she stated:

The board failed to discuss their responsibility for lagging academic achievement in our state. Instead they cast the blame on a tool used to measure a student’s ability to read, write and do math.

It’s disappointing that these unelected bureaucrats decided to ignore public comment and continue down a path that neglects their responsibility to help students meet high standards.

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AUTHOR COMMENTARY

We have gone from the worship of intellectualism, to pseudo-intellectualism, to now embracing and celebrating anti-intellectualism.

Instead of fixing the education system, instead, unelected bureaucrats are now dropping the standards so low you literally do not even need to attend class at this point, as evidenced by the fact a large chunk of juniors opted out of taking the basic tests.

This is par for the course at this point, as school districts across America are finding that most of their students from top to bottom cannot perform the bare bones basics:

Data Reveals Not A Single Student Can Do Math At Grade Level In 53 Illinois Schools And Only In 30 For Reading

13 Baltimore City High Schools Have Zero Students Proficient On State Math Exam

The American [d]education is system is a laughingstock and pure embarrassment, on display for the whole world to watch and scorn. America ranks so low in reading, writing, and math versus students abroad it’s not even funny.

And yet, year-in and year-in, politicians both at the local, state, and federal levels continue to campaign on “education,” asking for more money and new textbooks. We hear this same broken record played on max volume every election cycle, and, surprise surprise, it just continues to get exponentially worse.

While I do not endorse this man, the comedian George Carlin in his renowned bit dismantling the “American Dream,” Carlin, in 2005, warned how schools were rapidly lowering the passing grades to make the schools look better, and joked eventually that all we’ll need to get into a college is a pencil; which is absolutely true and here we are now…

For my people is foolish, they have not known me; they are sottish children, and they have none understanding: they are wise to do evil, but to do good they have no knowledge.

Jeremiah 4:22

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[7] Who goeth a warfare any time at his own charges? who planteth a vineyard, and eateth not of the fruit thereof? or who feedeth a flock, and eateth not of the milk of the flock? [8] Say I these things as a man? or saith not the law the same also? [9] For it is written in the law of Moses, Thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the ox that treadeth out the corn. Doth God take care for oxen? [10] Or saith he it altogether for our sakes? For our sakes, no doubt, this is written: that he that ploweth should plow in hope; and that he that thresheth in hope should be partaker of his hope. (1 Corinthians 9:7-10).

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