Show The Herald Journal Logan Utah Friday April 30 2004 — All ©ffffidiaDs (DpesftidDim gcadle Snirfllariltoin) Do Panel marks reflect gains in student achievement? Continued from A1 recommending steps to prevent future attacks the commission already has documented a string of urgent warnings communicated to the highest levels of government before Sept 11 Thursday’s meeting could reverberate into the November elections as the Commission reports in late July on intelligence failures and missed signals before the attacks that killed nearly 3000 people Bush has made his handling of terrorism the centerpiece of his campaign Unlike the commission’s televised hearings where tempers sometimes flared there were no tense moments in die Oval Office said former Gov Jim Thompson a Republican commission member He called Bush “a bit of a tease” and said there was laughter at times Richard a Democratic member and an aggressive questioner at earlier sessions said “It was a very cordial meeting” and everyone got to ask questions Chairman Thomas Kean a Republican former New Jersey governor said much of the discussion was devoted to brainstorming possible reforms in areas such as intelligence “We let the president know we’re getting into the recommendation phase and that it’s very important” Kean said "We said we hoped we could test some things out as to whether some of recommendations we were considering were indeed practical The president said he was open to some ideas and nothing was ruled out” “It was a very good meeting” Kerrey said “I do think it’ll help — in particular the president’s description of what happened during 2001 and most particularly on 911 The president’s narrative was important to give” “I was impressed by the questions” the president said “I think it helped them under- stand how I think and how I run the White House and how we deal with threats” He said there was a lot of discussion about how to protect the ' nation better In a statement afterward the commissioners thanked Bush and Cheney for their information and said they had been “forthcoming and candid” “We are stUl vulnerable to attack” Bush told reporters “And the reason why is al- Qaida still exists hates us dangerous And we have to be correct 100 percent of the time in defending America and they’ve got to be right once” V The commissioners came bearing briefcases books and papers and settled onto couches and chairs in the Oval Office Bush was joined by his counsel Alberto Gonzales and two other White House attorneys The commission’s exec- utive director Philip Zelikow Gonzales served as spoke only once when Bush asked him a question a participant said During the meeting Bush unleashed a rare rebuke : against his own Justice Department He said was dis-appointed at Justice’s release of documents that Republicans said showed that former Deputy Attorney General a DemocraJamie Gorelick tic member of the commission --—was deeply involved in developing 1995 guidance that strengthened a legal “wall” making it difficult fofFBI counterintelligence agents to share information with prose- cutors and criminal investiga- Ben-Venis- te WASHINGTON (AP) — The grades of high school graduates keep climbings reaching a B average in the latest count but far less certain are gains in achievement High school seniors in 2000 finished with a cumulative grade point average of 294 out of four possible points with four equaling an Aon the scale schools use a study shows A decade earlier the typical grade point average was 268 It rose throughout the 1990s That trend comes with other positive news More students are taking the rigorous math and science courses demanded by colleges and employers according to the Education Department’s sample of 21000 student transcripts in public and private schools From boys to girls whites to blacks East to West and in all four high school years grades were up everywhere But the study and the officials who presented it Wednesday did not draw firm conclusions about how much those higher marks reflected higher learning or grade inflation Otherachievement measures during the same period for example showed less rosy results Reading scores stayed flat through the 1990s according to the federal test that tracks trends among Math and science scores leveled out after 1992 A different federal test for high school seniors showed dropping math and science scores in 2000 Gains in the SAT and ACT college admissions tests did not match the rise of high school grades The study also found that students with higher grade ' Reading writing and rising grades ' Grads point averages of high school students rose staatfly throughout the 1 990s according to a government study Mean grade point averages of high school graduates By year of graduation Letter grade MMO —UM ""2000 equivalent V Higgs TJ"' Science Math English ‘Indudaeaevenl subjects not mmL SOURCE: U8 j Maryland States and schools hive worked to match up their courses with state standards trying to ensure that those who do well in class will do the same on tests But grading comparisons can be tricky Algebra I may be an extremely different course from one district to the next Also school systems vary widely in their range of offerings and teacher training Then there is the grading pressure on teachers Ilyssa Rothman a teacher at Harvey’s school says it comes from all sides: administrators who want a set number of high grades parents who want to see good report cards and students fighting to impress 1 B Social studies Departmsnt of Education AP colleges averages did better on the national math and science tests “My experience tells me that the increase in GPA is probably a reflection of what our students know and are able to do but it’s difficult to be certain because of the way grading is done” said Katy Harvey principal at Bethesda-ig- h School in Chevy Chase “They will come up and say ‘Oh I have an 889 Can I have an A?” Rothman said of students Her response: “No You earned the 88 Work harder next quarter” Vrf r m v 2004 CHEVY" MALIBU' LS ' : PEDALS CD PLAYER NO MATTER WHAT YOU CHOOSE THE CRITICS AGREE In ILS government h WOmm 0OT Swflj I I "More ton to drive than Camry” tor both the driver andtfie right front BEST FAMLY SBMN OF 2004 : MM 180 kpVMmpria “priced at thousands bee than a knprasrivsEPAestti i every gaBon of toeL Accord or Camry” 2003 FRS PRESS CAR OF THE YEAR -IkOMIMaApi Toyota Camry end Honda Accord equipped wtth ONE OF AAAPARENTS MAGAZINE’S BEST FAMILY CARS OF 2004 More toatms tor the money thaw Accord DX“ ss Mghvray tael economyttaad six-- 1 R goes on ttw riiopping let and Toyota That's a bsri-in-cta- Britt at the pM ranked highest In Uttriquritty note-tak- er THE BEST SEDAN OF 2004 IMPALA OR MALIBU 2004 IMPALA N0N-G- M SEDAN SMARTLEASE EXAMPLE 238 : PER MONTH FOR : ' TAX DUE AT SIGNING with 48 MONTHS? I i$ PER MONTH WITH 48 I FOR ' NO SECURfTY'DEPOSrr OWNERS AND LESSEES GET MALIBU LS SMARTLEASE EXAMPLE MONTHS 238 DUE AT SIGNING NQ SECURITY DEPOSIT REQUIRED INCLUOES BONUS CASH f TAX TITLE DEALER FEES & LICENSE BORA REQUIRED TITLE DEALER FEES & LICENSE EXTRA : : 'ton-- ' - - BUS 801756-354- 6 ' ' MURDOCK CHEW0LET Layton - AXTBL-mVUI- ' vv ''"'r talking with Brigham City Park City Spanish Fork Provo Tooele Sett Lake City Tremonton Woods Cross ' NMUMCX CHEVROLET I ' ' Delta CNHB0LET 7 11 20 NOUS West Valley City Sandy Ogden TOWS CMEVROlfl Logan 0 Price 01 “The president does not believe we ought to be point- ing fingers in this time period” WhiteHousePress Secretary Scott McClellan '"said-- '-' " Haber City American Fork lAIRYBL Murray 00 “Government star rngs are part of the National Highway Traffic Safely Administration's (NHTSA) New Car Assessment Program (NCAP) 24L 24L 3400 V6 engine Camry with engine and Accord with engine Impala Sedan wHh ““ Based on MSRP of base models Lewi of v extra Tax title and are varies: fcenee opHonai equipment equipment EPA estimated 32 highway MPG with standard 3400 V6 engine Based on 2004 EPA Large Car Segment was ttw highest ranked in NorttiSouth America among plants producing vehicles for the lS market in JD Power The General Motors ' and Assocbates 2003 Initial QuaNty of 52105 US consumer responses indicating owner reported problems during the first 90 days of ownership on Study" Study based a total ' ‘ 1 v wwwjdpowercom for MaBbu Malibu Your are LS MSRP a2004 of own an lt with S22500 sots Derior Each national Chevy on payments may vary based payments prica survey Examples ' Impala payments are for a 2004 Gieyy Impala Sedan with an MSRP of $22350 47 monthly payments total $11327 for either vehicle Option to purchase St lease endfaL an amounttobe determined at lease signing GMAC must approve lease Takedritoiry by 6104 Mtteage charge of$20mBe over 48000 ndtee Lessee pays for excess wear Not avalable with ottier offers Chevrolet le a registered trademark of General Motors Corp GMAC and SmartLease ere registered service marks pf the General Motors - Acceptance Corporation 02004GMCorpBuckle up America! 7 t tt McClellan reporters as the commission questioned Bush said that it ' was an opportunity for Bush ' to “talk with them about the seriousness with which we : took the threat from the steps we were taking to 7 confront it and how we have been responding to the attacks of Sept 11” V-- ilUEl CRDHriUr ' -4 taporatton-OritawadlOntarto- plM 1 ttt i v’ -4 |