THORNY PROBLEM SOLVED

In much of CA, you get a high school diploma as long as you have not committed a violent felony on school grounds within school hours

by Bob Walsh

The formerly great state of California operates a two-tier university system. The University of California is the cream of the crop. The California State University system is still very, very good but not AS GOOD as U.C.

For many years people coming into the CSU system have had to take an EPT and a MPT (English and math placement tests) if their SAT scores were not quite up to snuff. This is necessary because, in much of CA, you get a high school diploma as long as you have not committed a violent felony on school grounds within school hours. Actual academic achievement means something between Jack and Shit.

This system has resulted in a LOT of incoming freshmen having to take Bonehead English and Bonehead Math coming into the system so that they could perform at something near the required level. As it is only 20% of the incoming freshman get a degree within four years.

The people who run the CSU system feel this stigmatizes the incoming students. So the requirement to take the tests has been dropped. Damn, that is truly brilliant. I am fully confident THAT will fix the problem.