Tiered diploma gets little support

Monday, April 14, 2003 | 10:05 a.m.

An Assembly bill that would eliminate the statewide proficiency exam as a condition for high school graduation found little support Saturday among members of the Nevada Board of Education.

Assembly Bill 179, passed unanimously last week by the Assembly Education Committee, calls for the creation of a tiered diploma system -- where students who pass the proficiency exam get special endorsements and those who do not receive a general diploma.

But Gary Waters, president of the state education board, said it would be a mistake to "lower the graduation bar" and make it easier for students to earn diplomas. Instead lawmakers and the board should be looking for the underlying causes of the failure rate, such as the quality of instruction, he said.

The most vocal support for the bill came from state education board member Marcia Washington, whose district includes portions of Clark County. Having a tiered diploma would allow many high school seniors to go onto jobs or careers in the military that would otherwise be out of their reach, Washington said.

Additionally, Washington said, it would likely help raise the state's graduation rate.

"The proficiency exam is wonderful for those kids who can pass it," Washington said. "But some of these kids have not had the benefit of being taught properly, and they're being unfairly punished."

State Superintendent Jack McLaughlin told the board while about 90 percent of seniors do eventually pass the proficiency exam, there are some students who struggle without success, often despite high grades in their school work.

While McLaughlin didn't openly endorse the assembly bill, he said he would be in favor of a diploma that "communicated more" to potential employers and college admissions staff.

The diploma would be more valuable if it reflected specific academic achievements, such as the proficiency exam or particular vocational skills a student has mastered, McLaughlin said.

The board will likely take a vote at a future meeting on whether or not to support AB179, Waters said.