On Meet The Press today, Newt Gingrich shared what I thought was an excellent description of what students should leave with when they graduate from high school:

GREGORY: Newt Gingrich, what is the knowledge most worth having in 2010 if you are a high school graduate? What do you need to know? What should the end product look like?

REP. GINGRICH: Well, Jefferson said that religion, morality and knowledge being important, we need schools. That’s the Northwest Ordinance. So I’d say the first thing you need to know is about yourself and your own values and your own concerns. The second thing you have to know is a good work ethic and a ability to be honest. And the third thing you have to know is how to learn whatever you’re going to need to be successful.

Now, can he tell us how those qualities are assessed by the standardized tests  used to evaluate schools now and would be used to determine the teacher merit-pay he supports?