House members flunked an impromptu Algebra II quiz last week, at least in terms of the percentage of those who failed to complete the test and hand it in.

Rep. Joel Sheltrown (D-West Branch) is pushing legislation (HB 5943) that would provide a "general diploma curriculum" that doesn't include Algebra II, as an alternative to Michigan 's recent high school graduation requirements.

According to Sheltrown, the state is facing up to a 300 percent increase in drop outs if an alternative curriculum isn't offered. Sheltrown's legislation is expected to be taken up on Thursday in an education subcommittee on curriculum.

To try to promote his position, the West Branch Democrat had an Algebra II quiz passed out to every member of the House today. The cover sheet on the test read, "I thought it would be enlightening for you to experience a small dose of Algebra II, to help you decide if all children should be forced to pass it in order to earn our society's most basic educational credential—a high school diploma."

The cover sheet went on to state that the members had until the end of the day's session to complete the test and hand it in, showing their work on the side. In addition, there was an admonition not to cheat or copy each other's work.

At the end of session, which lasted three hours (not counting caucusing), 13 representatives out of the 110 handed in the completed tests. That's roughly 11 percent of the members. None of the tests handed in received perfect grades, although some were pretty close.