Pre-tests sought for students

Aaron Clemens

Friday, July 14, 2000 | 10:43 a.m.

Pre-testing of third- and fifth-grade students in Nevada schools has been proposed in order to isolate weaknesses that now show up only after formal standardized tests are scored.

The proposal comes from the state Council to Establish Academic Standards and would be funded with $500,000 that the 2001 Legislature will be asked to provide.

"The value of this program is for teachers, parents and children," council member Scott Craigie, a former Clark County teacher, said. "With the pre-test, they will know where their child is deficient so they can help move them through this new, very aggressive curriculum."

The schools' new, more intense curriculum has been put in place over the past few years as Nevada attempts to raise its educational standards in comparison with other states.

But speaking of the entire testing spectrum in Nevada public schools, Craigie said the state has a long way to go because the tests are neither fair nor adequate. Craigie blamed a lack of funding, which resulted in no companies bidding to write some of the tests.

As a result, the state Department of Education had to put the exams together so quickly last year that no one had enough time to test the questions, he said.

Senate Majority Leader Bill Raggio, R-Reno, said Thursday he supports the idea of pre-testing but added he was unsure if the funding would be available.

Craigie admitted that this will be a tough legislative year for proposed new programs. Gov. Kenny Guinn has said he expects no budgetary growth without justification.

"We need to document this and bring it forward in an accountable manner," Craigie told the council regarding any requests in funding. "If we can't do that, we'll be laughed out of the Legislature and justifiably so."