Nevada scores don’t add up

Monday, March 20, 2000 | 9:39 a.m.

Department of Education officials told the state Board of Education that 4,376 of 18,588 seniors haven't passed the state-required test. They have two more chances.

If 25 percent of the students pass each of the math tests as expected, more than 2,000 students still won't get diplomas - almost three times more than last year's 709 failures.

Diplomas will be denied these students even if they have completed and passed all course credit work. In such cases, students are given certificates of attendance.

The news Saturday about the high math failure rate angered some Board of Education members. But neither they nor the Department of Education had any new solutions.

"It is very dismaying," said Dave Cook, a board member from Carson City. "Why are our students not getting it after 10 years of education?"

"It is pathetic," added board member Gary Waters of Las Vegas.

Board member Bill Hanlon of Las Vegas said math instructors now teach "to cover the course material," rather than devoting the time necessary for teaching the understanding and mastery of math concepts.

After results of the first series of tests came out several years ago, the Legislature, Board of Education and individual school districts took action to boost student performance. But then the math test was made tougher.

Hanlon said the failure rate will increase next year when an even tougher test is given students to reflect changes to make the math curriculum more difficult.

In other states that have adopted tougher standards, he said, as few as 11 percent of students mastered math.

"It's a national phenomenon," Hanlon added. "I do not know what the answer is."

Tom McIntosh, director of standards, curriculum and assessments for the Education Department, defended the math test as one that includes material high school graduates should know.

In January, a legislative task force appointed to review the math exam found the test to be a fair measure of what the state's public school curriculum requires.

McIntosh said the test has been checked to make sure the math exam fits all groups and carries no biases against minorities.

"I don't have an explanation for it," he said regarding the failure rate.

Nevada high school students are also required to pass English and writing proficiency tests. In October 2001, they will face another graduation requirement - a science proficiency test.