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OGDEN, Utah (AP) -- This week, about 5,000 Utah high school seniors will have their last chance to pass the Utah Basic Skills Competency Test.
The class of 2006 is the first to face the consequences of the UBSCT, which was developed to ensure that students are competent in reading, writing and math when they graduate.
To qualify for a high school diploma, each student must successfully pass all sections of the UBSCT or attempt to pass the test three times. Each diploma will note whether the receiving student passed the test.
"Those kids who are serious about graduation and want to go on to college are pretty concerned," said Christie Barnes, Northridge High School site test coordinator. "They want to make sure they pass."
Davis School District Superintendent Bryan Bowles took and successfully passed the UBSCT last summer, in a special session of the test offered to state legislators, school officials and reporters.
"I thought all of the questions were reasonable," Bowles said. "They are all things that kids should know and be able to do."
Creation of the test was mandated by the 1999 Legislature. It was to demonstrate basic skills competency at the 10th-grade level.
Kim Burningham, chairman of the state Board of Education, "There's a strong feeling that there are certain basic fundamentals that anyone who represents themselves as a high school graduate should have. This test was one way to accomplish that."
He said about half of the states require that high school students take a similar comprehensive test.
In recent months, the state board has been grappling with how to best represent students' UBSCT status on their high school diploma.
Originally, students who did not complete all sections of the test were to receive an alternative completion diploma.
However, the board heard concerns that graduating with an alternative completion diploma could prevent students from receiving federal funding for college.
"We don't want to inhibit anybody from receiving help with college," Burningham said.
In January, the board decided to give a full diploma to all students who pass the UBSCT or attempt to take the test three times. Students must also complete their school's citizenship and class requirements.
However, every diploma must reflect a student's UBSCT status.
School districts will choose the exact wording on the diplomas.
The Morgan School District is putting wording at the bottom of the diploma stating "UBSCT proficient" or "Not UBSCT proficient."
The Weber School District is putting "Passed UBSCT" or "Did not pass UBSCT" on its diplomas.
Meanwhile, Rep. Neil Hansen, D-Ogden, is sponsoring a bill that would set up an alternative to the UBSCT for students with learning disabilities.
Reed Spencer, Ogden District executive director of curriculum and assessment, said he believes that's a good idea but that school districts such as Ogden's have a high number of students who are learning English as a second language, and, "A student who doesn't speak English is just as disadvantaged."
The state Office of Education is asking the Legislature for $6.1 million in funding to help prepare students for UBSCT.
The suggested funding would include $130 for each 10th-grade student. It also would include $1 million distributed to districts on the basis of percentage of students at high risk of not passing the test.
It also calls for $100,000 for statewide professional development for teachers and administrators responsible for UBSCT remediation.
(Copyright 2006 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
