SENATOR INTRODUCES BILL THAT WOULD ALLOW FOR STAAR EXEMPTION

  

A measure introduced into legislation by Senator Kel Seliger, of Amarillo would ease Texas’ high school graduation test requirement, as long as they qualified for an exemption that the bill would create.

Since 1987, high school seniors in Texas have had to pass a graduation test to get a diploma, part of a reform law passed in 1984, which included the “no pass, no play” rule.

This year there are approximately 28,000 seniors who are in danger of not graduating because they have not passed all five end-of –year test required for graduation, including Algebra I, biology, English I, English II, and U.S. History.

The measure creates exemptions, where a student can go before an “individual graduation committee” made up of the principal, teacher, counselor and parent, and would require a unanimous vote from the committee. Other factor that would be considered would be things such as course grades and attendance.

No action was taken on the proposal on Thursday, but several senators have expressed their support for it, and hope that it will be legislated quickly to affect this year’s senior class.

Some legislators have expressed their opposition to the measure, including Senator Lois Kolkhorst, who said she was concerned about “creating an incentive for students to take the path of least resistance,” going to the committee for permission to graduate rather than preparing to do well on the exams.

So far, more than 90% of seniors have passed all five test, and the other 28,000 will have another chance to pass this spring. The Texas Education agency indicated that the passing rate for the STAAR test were slightly better that the old TAKS test, when 21,000 students were not allowed to get their diplomas, and the TEA officials says that they expect the same number of students will not get their diplomas unless Seliger’s bill becomes law.