Stop lawmakers from gutting new courses - Detroit News Editorial 11/12/07

Improving student knowledge should trump short-term savings

The state's tough new high school curriculum is the most important education reform in Michigan in a decade, but it's being threatened by politicians who are putting short-term savings ahead of the state's long-term interests. While other states and nations are rapidly implementing innovative education reforms to compete for knowledge economy jobs, Michigan lawmakers are considering major cuts that will undermine two of the most essential economic boosters: the new high school curriculum and state assessment.

The curriculum and assessment work hand in hand. The tougher courses will improve the preparedness of high school graduates, and state testing holds schools accountable for properly teaching the courses.
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The accountability piece is key. The old adage, "What is assessed, gets taught" is true.

Yet a package of Senate bills proposes to gut critical parts of the assessment and water down the new curriculum before it is even fully implemented.
The bills would get rid of the writing section of the ACT test, among other changes. Writing skill is one of the best predictors of whether teenagers will succeed in college and postsecondary training.

Sen. Mickey Switalski, D-Roseville, is one of the package's lead authors and says he is not looking to hurt education, but for savings. Cutting the ACT writing section will save the state annually about $2.61 million. He also argues that only Michigan State University and the University of Michigan require the ACT writing test for admissions.
Switalski doesn't get today's economic realities. Global competition sets the competitive standard. Michigan students will have to compete with students from other places where writing skills are stressed.

Switalski also wants to cut the social studies portion of the state assessment test. And lawmakers have already slashed end-of-course exams that had been designed to ensure schools are properly teaching the new courses.

Ohio, Indiana, Pennsylvania and 10 other states use end-of-course exams. And 18 other states are moving toward implementing them.

Those states know that accountability in education matters. Michigan has a severe education deficit. It won't close the gap by shortchanging critical reforms like the new curriculum.