Can i have your opinion about taking the High School Exit Exam...do you want to take it or not and why?
If it's required by your state to pass the test in order to graduate, you'd better take it and pass it -- whether you want to or not! It's not an option if your state requires it.
Taking the high school exit exam is NOT an option in most states, as Writeacher said.
The purpose of the exam is to find out what students have learned in their four years of high school. If you've learned what you should have learned, then the exit exam is not a threat, but an opportunity.
Why would anyone want to waste four years if they couldn't show they've benefitted from that time and energy spent?
but in your opinion...do you think students should or should not take the exam because i am writing a persuasive essay and i need ideas...my con is that the ELD students are usually not ready for the exit exam that may cause problems for them...now i need some pro.
thanx
Both Writeacher and I presented some "pro" arguments for taking this exam.
Most students are not ELD (English language deficient?) -- or at least they shouldn't be after four years of high school. ESL and LD students may have good reasons to resist this exam. But those students without learning disabilities or who do not speak English as a second language must be able to demonstrate a good command of our language and should be able to pass this exam.
After working with an ESL student for several years, I've found that her desire to learn and excel in English does not impede her English language skills.
Shouldn't every American with a high school diploma be proficient in English?
how is the exit exam an opportunity though?...for you to go to the college you wanted?
It's an opportunity to demonstrate that you learned what is needed in order to be granted a high school diploma. If a person cannot demonstrate to the level required, then more study is clearly needed.
The whole point of an exit exam (whether it's the CAHSEE in California or the TAKS exit exam in Texas or whatever) is that the student demonstrates that he or she actually LEARNED what the curriculum requires -- and it's usually a minimum, for heaven's sake! I've known several students who passed the CA exit exam, but who had to take remedial English composition at a community college. They had learned enough to graduate from high school, but not quite enough to function well in college-freshman classes.
There is a very good reason for these exams, and it's not just to torture the students! It's to make sure their diploma actually means something.