Quick Response to MBE Mean

The National Mean MBE score came out on Friday.  You can read the NCBE press release here. My quick research indicates that it is either the lowest or one of the lowest mean scores in history.

I waited a day to think about what I wanted to say about the score.  My thoughts ranged from disdain to despair.  Anxiety skyrocketed for my students who won't get results for a couple weeks.  I wanted to talk about how this can't possibly be the worst set of test takers in history, or the rigidity in licensing continues to ignore at least a year of pandemic education for many of those students.  However, I always fell back on heartbreak.  I am heartbroken and sad for all those who didn't pass.  My disdain for the MBE pales in comparison to graduates' inability to pursue their dreams.  The focus on percentages misses the individual stories of graduates who will lose tens of thousands of dollars in delayed work.  I could write for hours about the problems with the MBE, but until NextGen, it will continue to be an artificial hurdle to practice.  That is heartbreaking.

(Steven Foster)