Those Who Pass Classes But Fail Tests Cry Foul

Qasim Bilal, 20, a native Pakistani, graduated last spring from Herndon High. He said that during his junior and senior years, he failed the state English reading test four times and the English writing test twice, even though his course grades ranged from a C-plus to an A. Bilal had trouble on the tests answering poetry questions and with interpreting the differences between first-, second- and third-person narratives.

"I had doubts about myself," Bilal said, adding that his parents wondered whether his grades were justified. He asked his teachers whether they had been too lenient. "But they said they don't do that. They said they were giving me what I deserved."

Why the discrepancy? Teacher Nancy Hencken said she thought Bilal was an articulate student who easily demonstrated his knowledge of the subject matter in class. During class exams, Hencken noted, Bilal and other students could ask her for guidance. That wasn't allowed under the state's strict testing format.

Helen George, a math teacher at Parkland Middle School in Montgomery, said her former student Brittanie deserved her high grades.

"What was tested and what was going on in the classroom was not really matching," George said. "I guess I had to reexamine what was going on."

Schools take several approaches to help students who fail standardized exams. In the District, some schools may offer special remediation classes, said William Wilhoyte, a regional superintendent. But in general, he said, schools prefer to help students in their regular classes. They do so by grouping students by ability, based on their performance on certain test questions.

In Maryland, students starting with the Class of 2009 are required to pass state tests to earn a diploma. So Kennedy High compels students who failed a state test to stay after school for remediation twice a week. Virginia's tests have similar high stakes, so Herndon High students who fail their state tests must take classes titled "Developing Literacies" or "Expanding Literacies."

Some students placed in remediation appear more than eager to proclaim their academic credentials. During a recent catch-up math class at Saunders Middle School, seventh-grader Lexie Hunt wanted to share some good news with teacher Pamela Childress.

"Ms. Childress, I made Honor Roll!" Lexie said. "In this school, do they give out bumper stickers for that?"