Tougher exam set for high school

Monday, March 2, 1998 | 10:15 a.m.

CARSON CITY -- As part of Nevada's educational reform, high school juniors will face longer and tougher graduation examinations next month in reading and mathematics.

Since 1991, juniors and seniors have been required to take the proficiency tests in reading, mathematics and writing. Kevin Crowe of the state Department of Education says a passing score was usually around 50.

But not any more. The department is talking about setting the passing grade at 65 this year, raising it to 70 percent in September 1999 and than to 75 percent in September 2000.

And Crowe says the questions will be more difficult and there will be more of them.

A student is allowed to take the test up to five times to pass and get his or her high school diploma. The first opportunity comes in the junior year. If the student fails, he or she can still take the examination four more times.

But there's a new wrinkle.

In the past, the same test was given over and over again. Otherwise a student would go through the same questions five times in the examinations.

The new examination will have new questions each time it given. The old math test did not have pre-algebra and pre-geometry and this one will.

The state Board of Education will meet Friday in Carson City for a public hearing on setting the passing grades. Crowe said the department is recommending the board withhold designating the passing scores until after the test, in order to get an idea of how students performed.

David Sheffield, president of the state education board, said it wants to hear testimony before approving the passing grades on these tests. And because of the tougher questions, the grades will probably be lower.

"There's ramifications for a lot of the students," said Sheffield of Elko. "We want to make sure we have a good test and have not overlooked anything," in explaining why he favors waiting to set the passing grade.

The reading test will consist of two parts of 32 questions each. Forty-five minutes will be permitted for each part and they will both be taken the same day. Students will be tested on initial understanding; interpretation and demonstrating a "critical stance."

There will be 36 questions in each of the two parts on the math test to be given also on the same day. Forty-five minutes will be allowed on each part and the student will be tested on understanding, procedural knowledge and problem solving.

The writing skills examination, which is unchanged, was given last month. It broken down in two parts. One topic was either narrative or descriptive. The other was either persuasive or expository. The student had 30 minutes for each part.

Mary Peterson, state superintendent of public instruction, said a full scale field test on these new examinations was conducted in reading and math last October. "These examinations have been constructed based on the Nevada Course of Study objectives which have been in place for at least three years."

The law, she says, also requires science become a part of this testing beginning at grade 11 in the 1999-2000 academic year.