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Originally Posted by Richard
And just when was that? 
While it used to be true that a student who didn't care much about learning could slide through high school in low-level classes and earn a diploma without learning much, changes in accountability and exit-testing over the last couple of decades have largely eliminated this option, and public schools now face the predictable problem of large numbers of low-achieving students not graduating (nearly 1/3 of eligible students here in Texas fail to graduate high school).
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Yes, there is exit testing now. There is also teaching to the test.
But you bring up a good point - and I'm not sure there is a good (or even valid) metric for addressing the issue. The SAT goes back awhile, but it has been changed and renormed, making comparisons more problematic. Other standardized tests don't go back as far.
The other interesting point you make is the bimodal distribution of student achievement. Some are very, very good. And some...well...
You point out that almost 1/3 of our Texas students don't graduate from high school, and that says something about the achievement characteristics of that cohort of the population. Perhaps the average has declined - or, maybe it hasn't changed much , but the variance has gone up - the prepared students are better, while the weaker students have even less capability. It would be interesting to see some comparisons that went back a century or so...
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Originally Posted by Richard
There are multiple realities in a typical public school today, and students who are motivated to challenge themselves with the highest level of classes are apt to find that intellectual challenges are both varied and plentiful.
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Agreed. However, as you say, this applies to the motivated student. There are some of the other kind.
Perhaps this is a case where some see the glass half full, and others see it half empty. I imagine most will know which perspective I will choose.
