Minn. District Scraps O.B.E. Experiment Seen as a Model

By Joanna Richardson

One of Minnesota's largest school districts has ended its three-year experiment with outcomes-based education, citing intense pressure from parents who criticized the schools' grading and testing practices.

The Rosemount-Apple Valley-Eagan school board last week accepted the advice of a local task force and removed most elements of the program, which some considered a model for other districts in the state.

School systems throughout Minnesota are experimenting with the principles of O.B.E. or other standards-setting approaches, particularly as the state moves to put in place...