Las Vegas Sun

March 29, 2024

Proficiency test left 700 seniors behind

CARSON CITY -- More than 700 seniors failed to graduate from Nevada high schools this summer because they didn't pass proficiency examinations that included tougher questions than in the past.

That's about 4.2 percent of the 1999 senior class, compared to about 1.5 percent in the past of students who didn't get their high school degrees because they didn't pass the proficiency testing, the state Department of Education said Wednesday.

To help future students, the state is getting ready to allocate $1 million to eight school districts to finance remedial classes to help seniors and also other students progress in the system.

Clark County will receive $428,793 for remedial programs and Washoe County will get the next largest share at $248,724.

At a meeting of the state Board of Examiners that reviewed the allocations Wednesday, Gov. Kenny Guinn voiced concern that nine counties would not receive any of this money to finance this extra instruction.

State Budget Director Perry Comeaux told the examiners board that eight school districts and one charter school in Washoe County applied for $2.7 million for remedial education but there is only $1 million. The other nine districts did not submit applications, Comeaux said.

"I would like to see what the school boards say to the superintendents who did not apply for this money," said Guinn, former school superintendent in Clark County.

He said White Pine County will receive $41,100, yet every student passed the proficiency test to graduate.

Keith Rheault, deputy state superintendent of public instruction, contacted after the meeting, said some counties applied but did not present programs that followed the law. So they were not recommended for any money by a committee composed of representatives of the education department, the Legislative Counsel Bureau and the state Budget Office.

The priority for allocating the money, Rheault said, was to help seniors pass the proficiency test. But he said some districts intend to use it to aid seventh and eighth graders who, for the first time, must attain a "C" in English and math to be promoted to high school. And other districts will use the money for slow learners in the lower grades.

The latest number of those who did not pass the seniors test this year is 709 students. In April there were 2,330 seniors who failed. But the Legislature allowed students to take the examination extra times. And it allocated $300,000 to provide remedial classes for those who failed in math.

The 4.2 percent failure rate, Rheault said, was not out of line because of the tougher questions and the required grades to pass. In math, it required a passing grade of 61. And this time around, the student will have to gain a 64 to pass the math proficiency exam.

The breakdown shows 337 students failed the math examination, 47 failed reading, 40 failed writing and 285 couldn't pass two or more sections of the test.

Rheault said the education department is still checking its figures and is meeting with the districts to verify the numbers they submitted on the failure rates.

The $1 million will be distributed at the Sept. 21 meeting of the Legislative Interim Finance Committee. The governor asked Comeaux to contact the districts that did not apply for the money to determine if they knew the funds were available and why they did not submit an application.

Guinn said he could not believe that a single school board would pass up the chance at getting the extra money.

Meanwhile, the examiners board did not raise any objections to $994,053 being sent to 12 schools that have been designated as having adequate achievement in testing in the elementary grades but where students performed low in three of the four subjects of the examination.

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