State education officials Friday deflected criticism from some school and parent groups about the pressure of high-stakes state assessment tests, saying the requirement that students pass the tests to graduate might not be set in stone.
“The notion that students are not going to graduate is not true,” said Nancy Grasmick, state school superintendent. “The linkage of the passage of the HSAs to graduation is a strong proposal and it is in the regulations that we review it…. We have marched along with the linkage, but it is not at all a final decision.”
Grasmick said the state Department of Education publicized the tests as mandatory to make sure students, teachers and parents took the high school assessment tests seriously. Grasmick said the department has developed a list of proposed remedies to help more students pass the tests, including phased-in requirements for special education students, and lowering the minimum passing score.
Her comments came during a briefing in Annapolis before the House Appropriations and Ways and Means committees.
In the last few years, most school systems, and the State Department, have broadcast the message that the high school class of 2009 must pass all four high school assessment tests in order to graduate. Many students take the algebra, government and biology tests while they are in middle school, while the English exam is given at the end of the 10th grade.
State education officials said they won?t have a clear picture of students? abilities to pass the tests until after the English test is administered this year, the first time that test has counted toward graduation.
“We?re not here to attack the tests, but we have a significant problem for tens of thousands of students,” said Mark Woodard, education director for Advocates for Children and Youth. “We have to ensure there are targeted interventions for our high school students.”
The Maryland Association of Boards of Education asked the legislators to create a task force to examine the tests? effectiveness.
