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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 6, 1985)
Page 4/The Battalion/Friday, December 6,1985 Some juniors say tesfs 'too easy' Results of exit test promising Associated Press Juniors across Texas who took a skills test they must eventually pass if they want a high school diploma ap parently fared better than predicted in the first try, with some of the stu dents saying the test was almost “too easy.” Although statewide totals are not expected to be released until Friday, and then only partial returns, an in formal survey of Texas school dis tricts Thursday showed 80 percent to 100 percent of juniors passing the test. The exam is designed to measure minimum competency in basic math ematics and English, and must be passed by all would-be 1987 grad uates. Dr. William Kirby, state education commissioner, had estimated that 75 percent would be a realistic number for students passing the exam on the first try. “I think it shows that students can do the work if they are motivated,” said Linus Wright, superintendent of the Dallas school district. The students topped the pre dicted passage rate, said Port Arthur school board president A1 Dugan, “simply because the teachers did their job — they took the bull by the horns.” Statewide the results of the Texas Educational Assessment of Mini mum Skills, or TEAMS test, were viewed as an important benchmark for measuring the quality of educa tion. The graduation test is part of the sweeping reforms approved by the Texas Legislature in 1984. Dallas saw about 80 percent of the students taking the test pass the math portion, and about 83 percent pass the language arts portion —bet ter than the two-thirds rate some school officials had predicted ear lier. In Highland Park, 100 percent Of the students ivho took the test passed both parts. Amarillo repoi ted a 92 pen ent on the language aits, and a 90 percent on math, in El Paso, 89 percent o( the juniors passed the math portion and 90 percent the language arts portion. In Port Arthur, 79 percent of the juniors taking the mathematics por tion of the test passed, and 80 per cent mastered the language arts sec tion. San Antonio reported that only one of eight school districts fell be low the predicted 75 percent. The state education board set 50 percent as the minimum passing grade for mathematics and 62.5 per cent for lanugage arts for 1985- 1986. Keith Cruse, director of the Texas Education Agency-administered tests, attributed liigher-than-ex- pected scores to school district's pre paration of students - < i am com ses ranging from distribution of sample tests to tutoring. But some administrators and sue dents said the high marks rairie be cause the test was too simple. "1 don't think it was anything that any 11th grade student couldn’t do. said Reggie Parmer, a Bay ( ity high school student, after taking the test in October. The test was given Oct. 1 and 2 to an estimated 200,01)0 llth-graders statewide. Juniors who failed can take the test again this spring and two more times their senior year if necessary to pass. Without it. they won't graduate from high school. Many administrators Said they took special steps to prepare their students for the test but that the re sults are even more valuable in find ing and helping students who need an extra boost to graduate. hy l&M w f ByJENS Senior l Ihtteigt CHEVY CHASE DAN AYKROYD VARNER BROS. rwm.A LANDIS/FOLSEY him An A.A.R.-BERNIE BRILLSTE1N-BRIAN GRAZER iwtion CHEVY CHASE • DAN AYKROYD • “SPIES LIKE US” STEVE FORREST • DONNA DIXON • BRUCE DAVISON BERNIE CASEY- WILLIAM PRINCE <TOM HATTEN MustRy ELMER BERNSTEIN Bx,iWuc, BERNIE BRILLSTE1N ■: Scrccnphy ty DAN AYKROYD ami LOWELL GANZ & BABALOO MANDEL ston By DAN AYKROYD & DAVE THOMAS Produced by BRIAN GRAZER and GEORGE FOLSEY, jR. 1x^1* JOHN LANDIS {Bo«l<t«S4»aPyito')] FROM WARN! R imas. Post Oak 3 in the Mall Friday 7:30/9:40/11:40 Saturday 1:00/3:05/5:15/7:30/9:40/11:40 NO TURKE ONLY THE HITS antaiiji do corns, ( _7tU£ Gift counseling for Men Larger Sizes Available “Unique Lingerie at an Affordable Price” corsets • gowns • teddies baby dolls • garter belts hose • gloves • play sets men’s items • body lotions novelties \}antas.u J2incjs.ziz | New Holiday Hours Mon.-Sat. 10-8 ^ Aggie owned & operated 1983 Near Campus 0 4325 Wellborn Rd. (Westgate Center) 846-4190 AT NORTHGATE Hrflut introduces EVENING BUFFET $3 49 All you care to eat every Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday night from 5:00 p.m. until 9:00 p.m.* Buffet includes: Pizza Pasta Cavatinni® Salad * offer good only at 501 University at Northgate JUST Texas A&M v ie wooden coc s phvs pejent and du ig units, a s’ Wednesday. Cliff Junek, a ne A&M systen ivision, said ^raen towers 1 pent and more because of; mThe tower he physical phi iorth side of a / md-and Asbury '''“They’ve (th cached the em fe and need to aid. At its Nov. 27 k&M Board of '3,6 million cor fiwers to the Co iw Woods, It early nex iut 1 'A years, Resigned by ton. wooder ing water breaks u[ (then circu !0m of the t< laid Ervin jn tower pi r is cooled f |e new uni or structu taedter sai iwhich are it 40 years, w rn yANDY R Students cur residence msing over tl ey intend to s Interim hou; tathley Hall ’ Dec. 20 jents must for the spi to current |igible for t sley Stou p.m m h By JO B1 1. MIAMI VICE — SOUNDTRACK 2. ST. ELMO S FIRE — SOUNDTRACK 3. JOHN COUGAR MELLENCAMP — SCARECROW 4. DIRE STRAITS — BROTHERS IN ARMS 5. HEART — HEART 6. WHITNEY HOUSTON — WHITNEY HOUSTON 7. CHRISTOPHER CROSS — EVERY TURN OF THE WORLD 8. THE ALARM — STRENGTH 9. INXS — LISTEN LIKE THIEVES 10. ABC — HOW TO BECOME A ZILLIONAIRE 11. ROGER DALTRY — UNDER A RAGING MOON 12 . A-HA — HUNTING HIGH AND LOW 13. STARSHIP — KNEE DEEP IN THE HOOPLA 14. RUSH — POWER WINDOWS 15. ZZ TOP — AFTER BURNER 16. SIMPLE MINDS — ONCE UPON A TIME 17. THE CARS — GREATEST HITS 18. PHIL COLLINS — NO JACKET REQUIRED 19. TEARS FOR FEARS — SONGS FROM THE BIG CHAIR 20. THE THOMPSON TWINS — HERE’S TO FUTURE DAYS AND MANY MANY MORE ie import jto changi es for the b< sston was w of the anding-roon tight in 3( Beltane Me ■educatioi IcM, present iws of the te challenges Bring a prog jollege of Edi tfriie topics rbm her writ 4 MUSIC EXPRESS I ,been; Now, ime’ 8 got af 725 B UNIVERSITY 846-1741 you a