DT> MS>DT> Washington State is well on it's way toward implementing the 
DT> MS>DT> Certificate 
DT> MS>DT> of Mastery.  A diploma is earned through seat time.  It will 
DT> mean
DT> MS>DT> nothing....but a Certificate of Mastery is *Earned* by meeting
DT> MS>DT> State  mandated standards.  
DT> MS>DT> Maybe the State is getting serious?
DT> 
DT> MS>    And only if the state is willing to face the music if minority
DT> MS>kids do  much worse than average in the process, resulting in
DT> MS>disproportionately-few  minority kids getting Certificates of
DT> MS>Mastery.  (This may be very  problematic to whatever extent
DT> MS>minorities are significant in a state's  larger cities.)  
DT> 
DT> This point may come into play....I do not know...we do have a fair 
DT> percentage of immigrants from Mexico as well as a Native American 
DT> population.
    It sure happened here over 15 years ago when the state initiated a 
competency-test requirement for HS graduation.  Disproportionate failure 
rates had black groups howling.
    Probably partly as a result, the test is a joke.
--- Simplex BBS (v1.07.00Beta [DOS])
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