Competency means what?

Deseret Morning News editorial
Published: Saturday, June 9, 2007 12:09 a.m. MDT
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According to test results released Tuesday by the Utah State Office of Education, more than a fourth of Utah's high school class of 2007 failed one or more sections of the Utah Basic Skills Competency Test. By the state's count, more than 9,500 seniors received diplomas bearing a stamp that indicates they didn't pass the competency test. Others received certificates of high school completion.

What this means in practical application is anyone's guess. While employers want workers who have certain competencies as high school graduates, it is doubtful they will insist upon seeing a job applicant's diploma or completion certificate. The college application window closed some time ago, meaning colleges likely have no knowledge whether applicants successfully passed each of the tests. For that matter, state colleges and universities in Utah have no admissions policy tied to the high school competency test.

These high-stakes tests were intended to be an accountability measure under the 2000 U-PASS legislation. But the only discernible accountability is that students who fail these tests receive diplomas stamped with a failing mark. Schools or school districts with low pass rates are not penalized nor are there rewards for schools with high pass rates.

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In many respects, these testing outcomes mirror years of standardized test data and college entrance exam data that show that students who take rigorous courses score higher on such tests. Math has long been a problem area, likely because students who performed poorly in math have taken the bare minimum courses, taking their last mathematics class long before their senior year. It remains to be seen if the state school board's new more rigorous high school requirements result in better UBSCT pass rates or higher scores on college entrance exams in the future. Common sense suggests both measures should improve.

This is not to suggest there isn't a place for the UBSCT. It will take years to develop longitudinal data to make some determination whether Utah schools are adequately preparing students for the workplace or for postsecondary education. We're not there yet.

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