Students prepare for new test scores

For the past two weeks, Melissa Pace has been attending a summer math class to prepare for the high school proficiency exam.

She discovered Monday she will need at least a 293 score to pass the test when last year's seniors were required to score a 290.

"I think it's bull," said Pace, 17, who will be a senior in the fall. "It's kind of like taking sides just so one group can pass."

The original passing grade had been set at 304 out of 500 for the class of 2003. However, legislators passed a bill on the final day of the first special session, lowering the minimum to 290, after about 16 percent of Clark County seniors failed the test.

The Nevada Department of Education approved a schedule Friday allowing the minimum passing score to increase incrementally over the next three years.

The class of 2005 will need to earn 296 points, while the following grade will need 300 points and the class of 2007 will again need to score a 304.

Students were informed of the new ruling during Monday's classes, where some learned they had actually passed and had spent two weeks in summer school for naught.

Although the cut score will be higher for entering seniors, Mark Sulezich, 17, was happy to discover it would be below the original standard.

"It's an opportunity," he said. "It gives a lot of seniors the ability to pass it."

David Lamitina, an education consultant for the Nevada Department of Education, said future high-school students shouldn't expect varying cut scores.

"I don't anticipate another change," he said. "Our intent would be to keep it at the standard cut score."

Carson High School math teacher Marjorie Gartenberg said the varying scores will not change the way math remediation is taught at the different grade levels.

"We don't teach to a test score," she said. "We teach to certain areas where they have skill deficiencies."

She trusts students and teachers will adjust to the new standards.

"I don't agree with what they did, but I understand what they're doing," she said. "They're giving us three years to look at the content of that test to make sure it has validity and to make sure we're teaching the right concepts.

"Are the students capable? Yes."

She said the largest danger comes when students set out to achieve only the minimum score.

But the Legislature's ruling has some convinced there is no need to make an extra effort.

"I think they will lower it again for us," said Janell Jacobs, 16, who will be a junior at Carson High School next year. "They keep lowering it for everybody else, so I'm pretty sure they'll do it again."

BKOUT:

Graduation Year Cut Score

2004 293

2005 296

2006 300

2007 304