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Show GoEnpcfGiioy testing digli school diploma Utah high school seniors will soon be required to demonstrate- minimum com -petency in several basic subjects sub-jects before they can receive re-ceive a high school diploma. Educators at the University of Utah say the competency testing should have positive results in the long run, but they believe there will be difficulties to overcome and pitfalls to avoid as the program pro-gram is phased in. "A number of school districts dis-tricts are already feeling the time pinch," says Dr. Raymond Ray-mond J. Rodrigues, associate associ-ate professor of education. The target date for im -plementation is 1980, but Rodrigues says the State Board of Education has indicated in-dicated a willingness to consider con-sider time extensions for districts that will not have the tests ready to administer ad-minister to juniors this year. "Without a year for remedial re-medial instruction, there . could be problems if some diplomas are withheld in 1980," he says.' "It could have a negative effect and set students up for repeated failure." Dr. Donald Kauchak, assistant as-sistant professor of education, edu-cation, says it would be ideal if the tests could be administered ad-ministered and validated over a period of several years before they become a diploma requirement. "It's always difficult to construct a fair and accurate test, especially when you're trying to measure how well ' a student can apply what he's learned over an entire school career," says Kauchak. "Since time limitations rule out prior validation, I would hope that follow-up studies will be done with graduates to find out if the tests are really accurate in measuring minimum Competency levels." "I hope these tests will incorporate some written and performance requirements," require-ments," Rodrigues adds. "Multiple choice tests simply sim-ply cannot do an adequate job of determining whether a student can write reasonably well or perform certain math or science functions." He says those skills can be tested test-ed best by having students actually demonstrate their ablity, but he admits that kind of testing is more difficult dif-ficult to evaluate. , If competency testing of high school seniors becomes an integral part of a school S system's total evaluation program, it can have positive posi-tive results and help students overcome learning deficiencies, defi-ciencies, the educators say. But if it becomes the only test and replaces other means of evaluation like periodic quizzes, parent -teacher conferences, and regular writing projects, it will be a disservice to students, teachers and parents who need a number of yardsticks to continually measure progress. |