Outcomes Assessment

["James Michael Craven" <CRAVJM@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

With all this discussion about the state of American Education, the
need for "outcomes assessment", "competencies" "exit testing" etc I
thought I woud pass along an early example of "outcomes assessment"
of the state and quality of American education.  On June 17, 1744
(yes, 1744) Six United Indian Nations at Lancaster Pennsylvania
politely refused an offer to send Indian boys to William and Mary
College with the following response:

    "WE KNOW THAT YOU HIGHLY ESTEEM THE KIND OF LEARNING
  taught in those Colleges, and that the Maintenance of our
  young Men, while with you, would be very expensive to you. We
  are convinced, that you mean to do us Good by your Proposal; and
  we thank you heartily. But you, who are wise must know that
  different Nations have different Conceptions of things and you
  will therefore not take it amiss, if our Ideas of this kind of
  Education happen not to be the same as yours. We have had some
  Experience of it. Several of our young People were formerly
  brought up at the Colleges of the Northern Provinces. They
  were instructed in all your Sciences; but when they came
  back to us, they were bad Runners, ignorant of every means of living
  in the woods... neither fit for Hunters, Warriors, nor Councellors,
  they were totally good for nothing.
    We are, however, not the less oblig'd by your Kind Offer, tho'
  we decline accepting it, and, to show our grateful Sense of it, if
  the Gentlemen of Virginia will send us a Dozen of their Sons, we
  will take Care of their Education, instruct them in all we know,
  and make Men of them. "

                              Jim Craven

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