New Law Sets Students Up For Military Recruitment
In Minnesota, new legislation radically changes graduation testing requirements, allowing high school students who fail mandated exit exams to take the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB) as an alternative assessment. According to the Minnesota Department of Education, students simply have to take the ASVAB or one of two other exams to earn a diploma once minimal course requirements are met. There is no specific score required. Of the three tests, the ASVAB is the only one that is free.
Pelican Rapids High School in rural Otter Tail County, Minnesota, requires all juniors and seniors who haven't passed required graduation tests to take the ASVAB. Military data show that test information at Pelican Rapids is sent to military recruiters without obtaining parental consent.