Dumbing Down ... Again

California teacher handing out tests to students. Some will know what to do with them. Others will eat them.

In today's edition of the NY Times, we are told about high school exit exams that are currently the definitive word in whether or not a student will actually graduate in 26 states of this great country.

By all accounts the tests are too hard for many students to pass so naturally the standards will be lowered because we don't want any problems or be perceived as a country that's politically incorrect.

In 2008, state officials in Alabama, Arizona and Washington delayed the start of the exit exam requirement and lowered standards after seeing that many students, including a disproportionate number of minorities, would fail the tests.

Many states have faced lawsuits over the proposed requirements amid accusations that the tests are unfair to students with disabilities, non-native speakers of English and students attending schools with fewer educational resources.

Need we point out the foolishness of having tests at all if you're going to make them so easy that everyone will pass? Or is this such an abstract concept that our educators and legislators cannot comprehend it?