Teachers write proficiency exam

Perhaps the only thing worse than taking Nevada's required high school proficiency exam is writing it.

Teachers from throughout the state spent the past three days sorting through the guidelines set for old tests and writing a new one.

"It's harder on the writers," said Loretta Reed, an English teacher at Spring Creek High School in Elko County.

The state department of education sends a request to all 17 counties in Nevada asking teachers to participate on the test writing committee.

The department then contacts each of the teachers on the list and those who are available are invited to attend.

"The idea is to make sure that everybody has the opportunity to participate in the process," said Jim Brant, the state math consultant. "We want to make sure everybody knows what's going on."

The proficiency exam is a two-part exam - writing and math - administered throughout the state as a requirement for graduation.

Last year Nevada graduated 12,543 seniors, while another 2,500 did not qualify for graduation. Of those that did not qualify, 978 did not graduate because they failed the proficiency exam.

Carson City graduated 411 seniors and 33 did not qualify. However, only six did not graduate because of the proficiency exam.

The teachers began with last year's test but worked in standards set forth by the Legislature in 1998.

Cindy Sharp, the state's English and language consultant, said teachers know best how to incorporate the standards.

"They're the ones responsible for teaching the standards," Sharp said. "They have the experience that benefits getting the whole job done."

The English teachers made sure questions and answers were in the same tense and that multiple-choice answers were not confusing.

"There should be nothing in the choices that would mislead students by looking different," said Mary Jean Lang, an English teacher at Carson High School.

The process also involved a lot of technicality.

"You have to find a (reading) selection first of between 800 to 1,200 words," said Eagle Valley Middle School teacher Fran McDowell. "We formulate six to seven test questions for each selection."

The math section wasn't any easier.

"It's a lot of work," said Jenny Salls, a teacher at Sparks High School. "However, it's great professional development. I learn a lot every time I come here."

Pat Erickson, from Elko High School, said it helps to associate with other teachers throughout the state.

"It allows us to get with a different set of people than we normally work with," Erickson said. "It broadens your outlook on education as a whole when you talk to people from different areas."

Once the questions are written, they are passed in front of a bias committee made up of teachers, parents and community members to make sure that none are offensive.

Once the questions pass the bias committee, another committee of teachers selects which of the questions will be on the test.

This test will be tested in April with sophomores and if there are no problems, it will become the test used the next school year.