Facebook
Fark
Digg
Reddit
Stumble
Leslie Felker, a Silverado High School senior, says she didn’t pass the newly required science proficiency exam, but has another chance in July.
Thursday, May 27, 2010 | 2 a.m.
Related Document (.pdf)
Sun coverage
Sun archives
- Clark County students make gains on annual math exam (3-3-2010)
- Students to take proficiency tests next week (3-10-2009)
- Pass rate falls for students taking key test as seniors (12-30-2008)
- Local high schools listed among best in nation (12-5-2008)
- Districtwide math tests get revision, second trial(9-30-2008)
When the word spread a few years ago that beginning with the Class of 2010 Nevada’s students would have to pass a science proficiency test to earn a high school diploma, cynics predicted the graduation rate would plummet in Clark County.
But this year’s seniors appear to have held their own. The district expects the graduation rate to be close to last year’s 68 percent, even with the tougher hurdles.
Statewide, students are doing better on the science proficiency exam than anticipated when the test was introduced three years ago, said Keith Rheault, Nevada’s superintendent of public instruction.
“We saw a decent pass rate when we first tested the kids as sophomores, and it’s carried over into their junior and senior years,” Rheault said. “We put out the word early that the new test was coming, and gave the districts enough lead time to prepare.”
Students who complete the required course work but do not pass all sections of the exam by their senior year receive an attendance certificate instead of a diploma.
A seniors-only round of testing is offered in May, for students who have yet to pass all sections of the exam.
This month, 2,013 Clark County high school seniors who had failed the science exam tried again, and more than half of them still fell short.
Seniors are allowed to take a final crack at the exam — albeit after commencement festivities have come and gone. If they pass the July test, seniors can trade in their certificates for diplomas from their high schools and they will count toward the district’s overall graduation rate.
After that, they can try again at a later date, but will be considered Adult Education students, rather than members of the Class of 2010.
The first-time pass rate for sophomores who took the science proficiency exam in 2009 was 58 percent. Data for this year’s sophomores, who took a more rigorous version of the test than last year’s class, are not yet available.
Although “58 percent isn’t anything to be proud of,” it is better than what had been predicted, said Brenda Larsen-Mitchell, the district’s executive director of curriculum. And the district intends to follow an aggressive blueprint to boost the first-time pass rate, similar to the approach used to improve test scores on the math section of the exam, Larsen-Mitchell said.
One change was to ramp up the science curriculum. About 75 percent of high school freshmen are enrolled in the “principles of science” class, which covers about 70 percent of the new exam’s content. And this year the district added a review class specifically for seniors who have not passed the science proficiency exam.
The district also added more professional development for elementary, middle and high school science teachers, focusing on lab activities, curriculum and preparing students for the proficiency tests. The graduation requirements were increased to include a third year of science (along with a fourth year of mathematics).
In 2007, the district increased instructional time for science classes at the middle school level. To make room during the academic day for seventh-graders, the district allowed middle schools to reduce — and in some cases, eliminate — a required physical education class.
To Silverado High School Principal Kim Grytdahl, that’s an unfortunate trade-off.
Given the epidemic of childhood obesity, and that many teens don’t get enough exercise, he thinks students would be better off if physical activity were a daily requirement. But he also knows the additional science instruction is helping to prepare students for the academic challenges of high school.
“The reality is the school day just isn’t long enough,” Grytdahl said. “If we’re going to raise the expectations for students, we need more time.”
But time is expensive. For schools to add another class period to the academic day would costs hundreds of millions of dollars that the state doesn’t have, Rheault said.
“I was unhappy that schools had to give up PE to make room for science, although I certainly understand why they did it,” Rheault said. “But I also believe that physical activity during the day can help students work off some of their restless energy, and they’ll actually do better in all their classes.”
Rod Miller, in his 15th year teaching in the district, says the science proficiency review class at Silverado High School offered him a new challenge: reviewing years of material in one semester. Miller found that many of his students struggled with the earth sciences, in part because those were topics they hadn’t revisited since middle school.
Since the science proficiency exam was added, Miller said he has reshaped some of his instructional methods, spending more time with straightforward lectures and question-and-answer sessions. The students seem to retain more material with that approach, Miller said.
For Justin Tate, a Silverado senior in Miller’s class, not being able to pass the science proficiency exam went beyond frustration.
As a result of the setbacks, “I lost some of my confidence,” said Tate, who recently passed the science section and is hoping for a career in law enforcement. “I thought I was good student, but it seemed like all this work I was doing in class didn’t matter. I kind of felt like a failure.”
Leslie Felker, also a Silverado senior in Miller’s class, will have to take another shot at the science proficiency exam in July after falling short of the mark in May. She believes the exam should be required, even though she’s “a little upset” that she hasn’t yet passed.
“You have to know all your subjects, not just the ones you like,” said Felker, who plans to attend Nevada State College and become a teacher. “I’m glad I get another chance to try again.”
Good attitude. No sour grapes.
if they can't pass those darn proficiency tests, there's always the junior colleges in arizona - accepting all who have the ability to benefit. they will take you and your non-graduating cumulative 2.9 gpa and turn it into an assoc. degree.
If high school graduation all boils down to one test, why have high schools? Beginning 9th grade
kids should stay home and study for the test-or the school district can have tutors and hours available for kids to study. Once a student passes the test, graduate them! Why waste all those buildings and years on learning which mean nothing?
Kids need to learn to take the test! Save Nevada tons of money!
"The district expects the graduation rate to be close to last year's 68 percent, even with the tougher hurdles."
Now that is interesting. I read so much about the poor quality of Nevada schools, yet I also just read that NYC, where Bloomberg claims to have improved schools so much, has a high school graduation rate of 54%. Last time I checked 68% is greater than 54%. Maybe he should give Nevada a quick call and see what they know that he doesn't!!!!!!!!!!!
Hey LV Sun, how about a few sample test questions to see what the test is like.
It would be refreshing if just one year, they highlighted the graduating seniors that passed the exam (most of them in the sophmore or junior year).
The time to panic isn't the end of your senior year - it should have been the first time you failed the exam.
Hey MountainBreeze,
Indeed, we DO have sample test questions. Go back to the top of the story and look to the right to "Related Document" which is a PDF of practice test. Download it and knock yourself out.
I won't tell you how many I missed.
Just_Me,
The story does mention all the students who ARE passing the test, starting in their sophomore year.
(The challenge with these kinds of stories is, you use too many numbers and readers' eyes start to glaze over.)
What was the rates for Washoe County and the rurals? I hate when they the Sun uses the term Nevada, because although we are one state, the challenges are very different in Clark, than they are in Washoe, than they are in Elko. Each demographic needs to find a solution for their specific problems.
Chicks will never pass.
Some easy questions:
1. Which element has the lowest boiling point?
2. Which element has the highest melting point?
3. What is the opposite of the oxidation reaction?
4. Which three gasses comprise more than 99% of air and give their relative predominance.
5. Name the planets in their usual order. Assume Pluto is a planet for this exercise.
6. How much energy does it take to accelerate a gram of matter to the speed of light?
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Chicks, grade yourselves:
1. Helium
2. Tungsten, though carbon is an acceptable answer (it sublimates at a higher temperature than tungsten rather than melting at normal pressure).
3. Reduction
4. Nitrogen, Oxygen, Argon
5. Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Juipter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, Pluto
6. More than exists in the universe (approaching the limit of an infinite amount).
Thanks for the info Tom. I won't say how many I missed either.
That test is no joke, but I haven't taken a Science course in 10 years. I think during my sophomore year of HS it would have been cake.
NorNev: You will need to contact your local district to get this year's results. Unfortunately there isn't easy access to a complete list of results for all 17 districts statewide.
Prior year results for all districts (11th grade only) can be found online at www.nevadareportcard.com.
Click on "District," and then follow the links on the left-hand side of the page for "Assessments" and "HSPE."
As someone who recently took the proficiency exams, I found them ridiculously easy, I remember that I actually got a "perfect score" on the test postcurve, according to my science teacher. In fact, since everything on the test already taught before 8th grade, some find it harder to remember that far back.
bape702,
Your comment about UNLV isn't true.
bape702:
As a member of the undergraduate admissions committee at UNLV, I can attest that your comment is wrong. We do have minimum GPA/SAT/ACT standards. We do occasionally admit students with substandard scores/GPA if they have extenuating circumstances but otherwise demonstrate the potential of succeeding in college.