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Did You Think a Passing Score was Set on Basis of What a High School Graduate Needs to Know?

Here's one more piece of evidence that passing scores are set for political reality--how many students can they get away with flunking.



April 15, 2003 -- An influential member of the state Board of Regents said yesterday he opposes a planned increase of the passing grade on high-school graduation exams to 65, after seeing the results on last year's tests.

The current passing score is 55, but the Regents had intended to raise it to 65 next year.

Regent Saul Cohen said he's concerned that a substantial number of students scored between 55 and 64 and wouldn't have earned a diploma if the higher pass score were in effect.

"At this moment, I wouldn't feel comfortable jumping to 65," said Cohen, former president of Queens College.

Cohen said he wants to see a further breakdown of the data to determine what the passing score should be next year on the English and history tests - such as precisely how many students scored above 60 and below 60, for example.

He said the pass rate should be based on that data. The Regents will make a decision on what the pass-fail rate should be by early fall.


— Carl Campanile
Regent Cool to 65 Passing Grade
New York Post
April 14, 2003
http://www.nypost.com/news/regionalnews/73487.htm

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