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9486 in the collection
More than 9,500--Quarter of All Utah Seniors--Fail High School Exit Exam
Ohanian Comment: It is fascinating to see how few people, journalists included, ever question the quality of the test. The Test is accepted as a given, with nobody bothering to count the warts.
That said, a released test in Utah's UBSCT (Utah Basic Skills Competency Test does indeed look like basic competency, albeit one that is very heavy in word definition and reading labels.
This is a Reading Test, not a literary analysis test as required by so many states that pride themselves on "high standards." This means good news and bad news. The bad news is that when test prep dominates the school curriculum, Utah students aren't likely to get much exposure to literature. The good news is that they will probably be able to read practical material--how-to manuals, operating directions, and so forth better than many students who can decipher a sonnet. With an MA in medieval literature, I often have occasional to decry my inability to read basic directions, computer manuals, and think of this ilk. But even a test that purports to test functional language lacks the nerve to take on computerese.
The Utah Basic Skills Framework includes three broad categories of reading:
- Demonstrate competency in reading and interpreting FUNCTIONAL text
- Demonstrate competency in reading and interpreting INFORMATIONAL text
- Demonstrate competency in reading and interpreting LITERARY text
Here is an example of the type of vocabulary question asked throughout the test.
Example: What does the word penetrated mean in this sentence from the first paragraph?
"A misty rain fell as the brown Cadillac penetrated the darkness."
A. affected
B. discovered
C. soaked into
D. moved through
These are very poor alternatives. Throughout, the vocabulary questions purport to measure the student's ability to figure out the meaning of words in context. Very few of the selections actually do that. They test whether the student knows the meaning of the word. In most cases, context does not help.
In this test, students are quizzed on a short story, a New York Times article on the sleep habits of teens, information from a can of Bug Buster insect spray, an article about a food safety study that was conducted by researchers from Utah State University, information from a box of Sun with Bleach detergent, a Japanese folktale about Ooka, a wise judge who lived long ago, directions on how to operate a portable fire extinguisher, a chart showing the responsibilities involved with owning the most common types of pets, a passage from Worlds by Judith and Herbert Kohl.
A question about the article about a food safety study that was conducted by researchers
from Utah State University asks:
This article most likely came from
A. a textbook.
B. the Internet.
C. a newspaper.
D. an encyclopedia.
With so many newspapers available on the Internet, the question is wrongheaded.
The Writing Skills test is a disgrace. It is a proofreading test. As someone who is a poor proofreader, I know that this is a highly specialized skill and I know that talent (or lack thereof) in proofreading has little to do with actual writing. The test writers even throw in that old chestnut of "choose the best title."
Three tedious passages littered with errors are inflicted on the test taker.
Finally, test takers are asked to write. Here is the writing prompt:
Research shows that students who do homework each school night generally do better in
school. Therefore, the teachers at your school have decided to require one hour of homework
each night for each student.
Your task is to write an essay to the teachers in which you take a clear position on the question
of required homework. Your essay should include at least three reasons that support or defend
your choice. Your essay should be organized and well developed.
There is a long checklist which purports to help the student write this well developed essay. Leading off is this exhortation: Focus on your audience and purpose for writing.
And this:
Voice and Word Choice
___ Use language that sounds natural.
___ Use specific and accurate words.
___ Write to your audience.
Indeed. Everybody knows that "the audience" is the unknown $10-an-hour test reader. And how does one use "natural" language given a decidedly unnatural writing situation?
Nicole Stricker
More than a quarter of this year's high school seniors failed Utah's high school exit exam, meaning they received conditional diplomas, if they graduated at all.
More than 9,500 students failed to pass at least one portion of the Utah Basic Skills Competency Test, according to data released Tuesday by the Utah State Office of Education. Last year 10 percent of students failed the UBSCT.
The increase is partially related to a new student tracking system that now includes seniors who may have dropped out or skipped test day, said Deborah Swensen, state director of assessment. Last year's numbers reflected only students who took the test and failed, she said.
"It is a concern," she said. "It says to us, 'Boy, we need to make sure we get this information to each of the districts to make sure they can better meet the needs of their students.'"
This year's seniors were the second class that received conditional diplomas if they didn't pass the math, reading and writing exit exams. Utah lawmakers passed a law creating the exit exams to make sure the state's students leave high school competent in basic skills.
Students get five chances to take the tests, starting in their sophomore year. Those who don't pass all three sections get diplomas noting that they didn't complete all portions of the test. Educators have asked for more leeway for students with special needs, but lawmakers are wary of making the test seem less important.
Of 36,545 seniors enrolled in October, 22.4 percent didn't pass the math test, 20 percent failed the writing portion and 15.8 percent missed the mark on reading. Overall, 9,512 students - or 26 percent - failed to pass at least one section, meaning they failed the test.
Critics say some students simply don't test well. A student in the Jordan School District took four years of math classes and five stabs at UBSCT, but failed it by one point this year.
The Jordan Board of Education voted 5-2 in May to grant the student's appeal for a full diploma.
"There have been appeals before, but I don't recall . . . a circumstance quite like this one," said board president J. Dale Christensen. In the board report, member Sherril Taylor said, "I don't think I've seen an appeal this close or a student who has tried so hard."
In the Jordan School District, students who fail a UBSCTÂ test are urged to sign up for core or elective remediation classes. After-school help is also available, as are extra-small tutorials for struggling seniors.
"It has been a major effort on our part," said Clyde Mason, the district assessment director. "We've seen some strong success."
A bill providing more appeal options and exemptions failed at the Legislature this year. But it is not clear how much most students worry about the fine print on their diplomas.
Oscar Montelongo, a West High School junior, is having trouble passing his UBSCT but isn't too concerned.
"I'll try to give it another shot," he said. "I just want my diploma."
— Nicole Stricker
Salt Lake Tribune
2007-06-06
http://www.sltrib.com/portlet/article/html/fragments/print_article.jsp?articleId=6071925&siteId=297
INDEX OF OUTRAGES
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