Miller also complained that graduation tests haven't been reviewed by the Educational Quality and Accountability Board. However, that board has no real authority and is just another report-generating government group. And Miller notably didn't identify any actual problems with the tests, which already go through multiple layers of review. In fact, the state Department of Education often hires a second vendor to review the work of the first vendor to ensure rigor and accuracy in state testing.
Predictably, Jenks Superintendent Kirby Lehman was among those opposing graduation standards, which lawmakers approved seven years ago.We wonder: If Lehman were as indifferent to athletic achievement on the football field as he is about academic achievement, would he last another week on the job?
In the real world, giving a child a diploma without giving him an education does no good. Instead of opposing accountability, we wish these administrators would focus on student achievement.
Out of 30,497 seniors, only 2,040 had not successfully completed their EOIs as of April 23, a pass rate of 93 percent. And the number is climbing.
That's a success story, not a cause for alarm.
