The state school board lowered today the scores that students need on two new high school math exams to graduate, but declined to make the major reductions to graduation requirements that some board members sought.
The adjustment in scores sparked a long and passionate debate about what a high school diploma should mean between board members, career training experts and citizens who came to complain about expectations.
Some viewed state rules that students must perform well on exams to graduate as unfair, particularly to poor students. Others urged the board to stay the course to make sure students learn more before graduating so that they can compete in the job market.
In the end, the board voted 11 to 5 to adjust the scores that students need for the new high school geometry and Integrated Math II end-of-course exams. Scores on those two tests came in much lower than expected this spring.
But the board made no changes to expectations on other state tests, despite a passionate plea from board member A.J. Wagner of Dayton to lower expectations across the board to insure that students can graduate.
Wagner told the board that about 40 percent of high school students are not scoring well enough on required tests to graduate from high school. Some students, he said, will respond to demands that they work harder and score better, but others won’t.
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