FT 14-04-Higher Education Dehelmintization Act (Final Vote)

[Roblox]

AN ACT
to make higher education an even playing field

Section 1 (Title & definitions)
i. The title of this Act shall be, the "Higher Education Dehelmintization Act." It may be cited as "HEDA."
ii. As it appears in this legislation, "third party assessment" refers to any standardized test developed other than by the Frémont Department of Education or the state or district where the student is enrolled.
iii. As it appears in this legislation, "third party program" refers to any course, program, or curriculum developed other than by the Frémont Department of Education or the state, district, or public college or university where the student is or was enrolled, not including volunteer, professional, or military service, for which the student is assessed a fee.

Section 2 (Purgation)
i. No public college or university shall accept or consider the results of a third party assessment as supplementary material to an application for admission.
ii. No public college or university shall accept for credit the results of a third party assessment or other proof of completion of a third party program.
iii. No high school funded in whole or in part by the Commonwealth of Frémont shall administer any third party assessment, nor offer any third party program.

Section 3 (Implementation)
i. §2(i, iii) of this Act shall take effect with the 2021-2022 academic year.
ii. §2(ii) of this Act shall take effect with the 2024-2025 academic year.

Sponsor: Harry S Truman

[AustralianSwingVoter]

Would students still be allowed to take part in third party tests which are optional such as Maths Olympiads or ICAS, for example? Because students should still be given the option to take part in these regional or national competitions.
If possible I'd also be partial to extending this into a more broader regulation of school testing, including limits on multiple choice tasks.
Also, is Dehelmintization a word? Because I'm pretty sure it isn't, and a cursory check of reputable dictionaries agree with me. The only result I could find is another word for pet deworming?

[Roblox]

Would students still be allowed to take part in third party tests which are optional such as Maths Olympiads or ICAS, for example? Because students should still be given the option to take part in these regional or national competitions.
If possible I'd also be partial to extending this into a more broader regulation of school testing, including limits on multiple choice tasks.
Also, is Dehelmintization a word? Because I'm pretty sure it isn't, and a cursory check of reputable dictionaries agree with me. The only result I could find is another word for pet deworming?

Yeah, I would like the First Minister to explain the usage of "Dehelmintization". I also agree that this bill could be a good opportunity to legislate on standardized test writ large. I believe standardized testing plays too big of a role in public schooling, as educators are forced to teach to the test. I would strongly support curtailing their importance.

[AustralianSwingVoter]

Would students still be allowed to take part in third party tests which are optional such as Maths Olympiads or ICAS, for example? Because students should still be given the option to take part in these regional or national competitions.
If possible I'd also be partial to extending this into a more broader regulation of school testing, including limits on multiple choice tasks.
Also, is Dehelmintization a word? Because I'm pretty sure it isn't, and a cursory check of reputable dictionaries agree with me. The only result I could find is another word for pet deworming?

Yeah, I would like the First Minister to explain the usage of "Dehelmintization". I also agree that this bill could be a good opportunity to legislate on standardized test writ large. I believe standardized testing plays too big of a role in public schooling, as educators are forced to teach to the test. I would strongly support curtailing their importance.

It is sometimes teachers being forced to teach the test. More of the time it is lazy teachers setting a multiple choice quiz which is far easier and quicker to mark than actual proper work. Pop quiz's are useful in Primary (and your middle school) but they aren't appropriate in High Schools or Colleges.
Some form of Standardised testing is absolutely necessary in the educational system to actually determine where all students sit in relation to each other to give a fair mark to all students for fair admission to universities, what matters is that the standardised are only comprised of short and long form questions which actually test knowledge rather than multiple choice.

[Roblox]

Would students still be allowed to take part in third party tests which are optional such as Maths Olympiads or ICAS, for example? Because students should still be given the option to take part in these regional or national competitions.
If possible I'd also be partial to extending this into a more broader regulation of school testing, including limits on multiple choice tasks.
Also, is Dehelmintization a word? Because I'm pretty sure it isn't, and a cursory check of reputable dictionaries agree with me. The only result I could find is another word for pet deworming?

Yeah, I would like the First Minister to explain the usage of "Dehelmintization". I also agree that this bill could be a good opportunity to legislate on standardized test writ large. I believe standardized testing plays too big of a role in public schooling, as educators are forced to teach to the test. I would strongly support curtailing their importance.

It is sometimes teachers being forced to teach the test. More of the time it is lazy teachers setting a multiple choice quiz which is far easier and quicker to mark than actual proper work. Pop quiz's are useful in Primary (and your middle school) but they aren't appropriate in High Schools or Colleges.
Some form of Standardised testing is absolutely necessary in the educational system to actually determine where all students sit in relation to each other to give a fair mark to all students for fair admission to universities, what matters is that the standardised are only comprised of short and long form questions which actually test knowledge rather than multiple choice.

Oh I don't believe in eliminating standardized testing. I simply think limiting the amount of time dedicated to them would be prudent. IRL, in 2015 the Obama administration proposed limiting the amount of time dedicated to standardized testing to no more than 2% of student instructional time. I believe a time limit like this could be useful.

I agree that multiple choice pop quizzes have no place beyond middle school though. I see them as a nuisance when used for older students.

[Former President tack50]

Excellent bill by Truman! I hope Lincoln tackles this issue soon!

Honestly I had been thinking about such a bill for a while, to introduce it whenever I got into office again.

[Unconditional Surrender Truman]

My thanks to the speaker. Pretty straightforward: among the many, many inequities which plague the college admissions process is the profusion of third-party tests (mainly propagated by the so-called "College Board") which claim to prepare students for higher education, but in reality represent a scam wherein students are charged exorbitant fees to participate in these effectively mandatory assessments. Combined with test prep courses, the Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate programs, these third-party assessments in effect penalize poor students for being poor and make the college admissions process about wealth, not aptitude. This bill would bar public colleges in Frémont from considering the results of third-party assessments towards admissions decisions and prohibit public schools from teaching AP and IB (or similar) courses.

Would students still be allowed to take part in third party tests which are optional such as Maths Olympiads or ICAS, for example? Because students should still be given the option to take part in these regional or national competitions.

Based on what I know of these programs, I would not consider either Math Olympiads or ICAS to be standardized tests as that term is defined by this bill. So yes, students would still be able to participate in extracurricular competitions.

If possible I'd also be partial to extending this into a more broader regulation of school testing, including limits on multiple choice tasks.

I would certainly be open to this. Frémont already has some restrictions on testing in public schools, but I would welcome an appropriate expansion to ensure our students are being assessed on their mastery of subject matter, not their ability to jump through arbitrary hoops.

Also, is Dehelmintization a word? Because I'm pretty sure it isn't, and a cursory check of reputable dictionaries agree with me. The only result I could find is another word for pet deworming?

It is a derivation referring to the expulsion of parasites from a host —which is, after all, the object of this bill.

[AustralianSwingVoter]

I would certainly be open to this. Frémont already has some restrictions on testing in public schools, but I would welcome an appropriate expansion to ensure our students are being assessed on their mastery of subject matter, not their ability to jump through arbitrary hoops.

I'd repeat myself, testing is a very good thing and necessary for ensuring that all student's can be reliably placed on the same metric. The only problem is the form in which tests and exams take place. My objection is purely to multiple choice testing. Testing through Short and Long answer questions remain a very fair method of testing pupil aptitude and better representing their real abilities.

[Unconditional Surrender Truman]

I move for a vote.

[Roblox]

Seeing as it has been more than 24 hours since Truman moved for a vote, and no one has objected, I am now opening a final vote on this bill.

Aye.

[AustralianSwingVoter]

Aye

[PSOL]

Aye

[Unconditional Surrender Truman]

Aye!

[Unconditional Surrender Truman]

AN ACT
to make higher education an even playing field

Section 1 (Title & definitions)
i. The title of this Act shall be, the "Higher Education Dehelmintization Act." It may be cited as "HEDA."
ii. As it appears in this legislation, "third party assessment" refers to any standardized test developed other than by the Frémont Department of Education or the state or district where the student is enrolled.
iii. As it appears in this legislation, "third party program" refers to any course, program, or curriculum developed other than by the Frémont Department of Education or the state, district, or public college or university where the student is or was enrolled, not including volunteer, professional, or military service, for which the student is assessed a fee.

Section 2 (Purgation)
i. No public college or university shall accept or consider the results of a third party assessment as supplementary material to an application for admission.
ii. No public college or university shall accept for credit the results of a third party assessment or other proof of completion of a third party program.
iii. No high school funded in whole or in part by the Commonwealth of Frémont shall administer any third party assessment, nor offer any third party program.

Section 3 (Implementation)
i. §2(i, iii) of this Act shall take effect with the 2021-2022 academic year.
ii. §2(ii) of this Act shall take effect with the 2024-2025 academic year.