Pennsylvania's High School Graduation Tests Put On Hold
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - Governor Tom Wolf signed legislation Wednesday putting a temporary hold on the use of controversial graduation exams for high school students in Pennsylvania.
Gov. Wolf concedes the standardized tests are causing issues because of remediation requirements - measures to help students who fail the first time to successfully pass them when they take them again:
"This system for getting accountability is at best incomplete. It's flawed in a way that actually doesn't ensure that we are making a wise investment in education."
Wythe Keever, a spokesman for the Pennsylvania State Education Association -- the statewide teachers union -- says the Keystone Exams have become a source of tension:
"Testing doesn't have to be toxic, it doesn't have to be a bad thing it just needs to be with the right amount and the right emphasis."
He says teachers are committed to working with the governor and state lawmakers to craft a fair and reasonable alternative.