Standards TEsts for Colleges

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/02/09/education/09testing.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

Interesting article on standards for colleges. If this comes to pass accreditation may not be as important as the outcomes the students can demonstrate on standards tests.

 

As usual when it comes to standardized academic achievement tests, I feel deeply ambivalent. Pedagogically, I think it's dreadful, but it might open up more opportunities for testing-out.

 

Personally, I think introducing such testing at the post secondary level would be a huge waste of money. I firmly believe that the vast majority of faculty of most universities are concerned about providing quality education. I suppose testing might be useful to dispell (or not) the notions by some that distance education produces inferior graduates.

 

I'd probably take the position that this would be a core area for continued accreditation. Isn't accreditation supposed to have as part of their charter something along the lines of quality of education. I understand that the six regionals currently do not have objective measures, but subjective measures. I also read a bit ago about the national accreditors relying on objective measures more than subjective measures.
Anyway, yes, test everone that is up for a degree. Do a national pre-test, provide your curriculum, and then do the national post-test for your specific degree. If the graduates of the program don't pass then the school should be taken off accreditation. Period.

 

Doug,
I don't see how a test can cover skills or any skill set the a student learns in college. I graduated with a Bachelor's in Data Communications from Penn State University. I was fortunate enough to have alot of hands on work with equipment that many other students didn't or wouldn't have at another university or college. How can you possibly write a test? Most of my training and education was on real-life, hands-on work. Many other university's focus on book smarts and neglect hands on experience. There is no way, at least I dont think, to properly post test between the two schools. If you learn anything from school you probably learned that the book education and hands on education are two entirely different things and usually the book turns out to be wrong in alot of hands on situations. I don't even think you could test a "core" for the major. This sounds like another no child left behind where students are tested on what the GOVERNMENT wants and not what is right for the students.

 

Alas, poor horric, I knew him well.





(sorry, I couldn't resist.)

 

I phrased that about half wrong in the beginning... LOL

 

What single test would appropriately assess individuals with the following degrees:

Bachelor of Arts., Literature
Bachelor of Engineering
Bachelor of General Studies
Bachelor of Science in Professional Studies, Audio Recording
Bachelor of Professional Studies in HVAC TEchnology
Bachelor of Judaic Studies
Bachelor of Fine Arts, Musical Theater

???????