Learning, language difficulties had adverse effect on math test results

Friday, July 23, 2004 | 9:45 a.m.

Learning difficulties and language barriers may have hindered 70 percent of the high school seniors who could not pass the math proficiency exam, a Clark County School District official told board members Thursday night.

More than half of the high school seniors who could not pass the math proficiency exam to graduate were severely disabled special education students, home schooled students or incarcerated, Karlene McCormick-Lee, assistant superintendent of research and accountability for the district, said.

About 1,200 of the 2,256 seniors who had enough credits to graduate but couldn't pass the exam fell into one of those categories, Lee said.

Of the remaining 1,000 students, 40 percent have language barriers, Lee said.

School Board members said the data helped them understand how so many students could be failing the math test.

"It really brings it down to about 600 students who didn't pass," School Board member Sheila Moulton said.

"It does put it in a better light."

Severely disabled special education students have several disabilities that may impact their ability to take the test, Lee said. Special education students who earn enough credits but cannot pass the test receive an adjusted diploma, Lee said.

Non-special education students who cannot pass the test receive only a certificate of completion at graduation instead of a diploma.

Students have up to six chances to pass the proficiency tests in math, reading and writing, Lee said. The last chance for the Class of 2004 in math came last week, and she said the district expects another 270 students to have passed and earn their diplomas.

Despite the challenges in some student subgroups, solid math instruction does make a difference in the pass rates, Lee said.

"Having algebra did help with the first-time pass rates," Lee said.

The first-time pass rate for this year's 10th graders, all whom were required to take eighth grade algebra, increased from 34.3 percent to 41.4 percent, Lee said.