Grasmick Affirms Graduation Mandate
'09 Class Must Pass Tests Despite Delay For Some Students

By Nelson Hernandez
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, March 1, 2007

Maryland School Superintendent Nancy S. Grasmick told the State Board of Education yesterday that she is committed to having students pass high school exit exams starting with the Class of 2009, despite plans that would delay when students in special education and limited English proficiency programs must pass them.

Grasmick stressed that the postponement, which she intends to formalize in August, is part of a review of the tests in algebra, biology, English and government, known as the High School Assessments. But, she told the board, she does not intend to change testing plans for students in regular classes.

"We are not recommending abandoning this 2009 timeline," she said. "There will be adjustments based on a reasonable interpretation of the data."

Starting with the Class of 2009, students must pass all four tests, or score at a minimum level on each, to graduate -- a requirement that has provoked increasing worry among some educators and state legislators, who fear that thousands of students could fail to receive their diplomas.

Grasmick's statements seemed to reassure some school officials who have poured money into efforts to help students pass the test. Prince George's County schools chief John E. Deasy said he has spent at least $14 million on various programs related to the test, and an intangible amount of time and effort revising curriculums and providing extra instruction.

"I think we have all been concerned about the appropriate way to roll this out for students with special needs and students who haven't learned English yet," Deasy said. "I think delaying, and determining how we're going to support these populations, is the responsible move."

Montgomery County school system spokesman Brian Edwards said that he wants more details but that the proposal "is certainly one thing to look at."

"We're focused on really making sure our students, whether they're special education or [English-language learner] students, are ready to graduate and have success beyond high school," Edwards said.

It is unclear how many students the change would affect, if it is launched, and Grasmick did not say yesterday how long the delay would last. According to Maryland State Department of Education figures, the Class of 2006 graduated with 4,100 special education students and 400 students with limited English proficiency. Numbers were not available for the students with disabilities who are not part of a special education program; they represent a small population, state officials said.

Gary Heath, assistant state superintendent for accountability and assessment, told the board that overall performance on the tests has improved significantly since their inception in 2002 as students have begun taking the tests more seriously and special programs have prepared them for the exams. But students in special education and limited English proficiency programs and those with other disabilities have had great difficulty with the exams.

For example, of students in regular classes who took the algebra test in 2006, 71 percent were able to pass, but 27.2 percent of special education students passed. Students with limited English proficiency passed only 38.2 percent of the time. The students with other disabilities did far better, passing 65.4 percent of the time. The numbers, Grasmick said, justified a delay in the requirement.

"For specific populations, there is the reality of low performance," Grasmick said. "We have to do something special."

Many educators and politicians have mixed feelings about the graduation exams. On one hand, as several state board members said, they are a guarantee that students are learning and not receiving inflated grades. On the other, they can make an entire education ride on a set of four exams.

Two bills before the General Assembly seek to mitigate what some say could result in as many as 25,000 students failing at least one of the four tests. One bill would create a task force to look at the effectiveness of the tests and present recommendations. The other would make the exams part of a weighted assessment, reducing their importance in receiving a diploma.

State school officials predict that only a handful of students will fail, but the debate hung heavy over yesterday's meeting.

The board's president, Edward L. Root, said the proposal was not made in response to moves in the General Assembly. "When they propose that legislation, they're reflecting the fear of their constituents," Root said in an interview after the meeting. "The board typically opposes state legislation because it typically fragments the authority process. I think it's better to have a united voice."

Root pointedly said: "This board is marching forward in unison. We are moving forward to change, but we will not be driven to change."

Earlier, he said, "I sometimes wonder if the opponents of this are the rear guard against high standards or the point guard of our descent into mediocrity."

Dunbar Brooks, the board's vice president, spoke strongly: "If we were to back off and say, 'Well, they may not pass,' we could doom a tremendous percentage of the population to mediocrity."

Some opponents of the tests said they do not intend to compromise. Other politicians said they thought the proposal was a step in the right direction but wanted to continue reviewing the test.

Del. Sue Kullen (D-Calvert), one of the sponsors of the bill proposing the weighted assessment system, gave the bill only a "fifty-fifty" chance of passing but said she was pleased it had started a discussion of the role of the exams in education.

"We want high accountability. We want high standards for our children, but at the same time that one-size-fits-all test does not work for Maryland children," Kullen said.

"I think every principal is just looking for direction," said Sylvester Conyers, principal of Eleanor Roosevelt High School in Greenbelt.

Grasmick acknowledged the difficulty of considering revisions to the tests while trying to make students aware that taking them is mandatory.

"Students ask the question that all of us ask, which is, 'Does this count?' " she said. The final answer, she said, would be yes.