by KYW’s Tony Romeo

A state regulatory review panel has joined the fray over a proposal to require Pennsylvania students to pass a series of exams before graduating high school.
 
Pennsylvania’s Independent Regulatory Review Commission has commented on the state Department of Education’s proposal to require graduation tests. IRRC executive director Kim Kaufman says one question raised by the panel is why the Department of Education is taking a statewide, rather than local approach:
 
“We did bring that up. We asked them about our concerns that these were kind of statewide, and they were not tailored to individual school districts, and what we’ve asked for is more explanation as to why this approach is the best approach.”

The commission also expresses concerns about the financial impact of the testing proposal, which has triggered heated debate. The regulatory panel also notes that the House introduced a bill, similar to one already passed by the Senate, that would require legislative approval of such a plan. The IRRC says it believes the proposal does require legislative review.