Because of the decision, which was made during a special board meeting, 53 Temple High School seniors will not be allowed to participate in Saturday’s commencement ceremony.
“(The policy) is not fair to the students who have been working hard for 13 years to graduate,” said parent Betty Davis, representing her child during the special board meeting.
The 11th grade exit-level version of the TAKS test consists of sections devoted to math, science, social studies and English language arts.
“You’re depriving them of a very special time in their life,” said Ms. Davis. “These children have done a lot of work and just because they might not pass a few questions in something they’re not good at, you’re not allowing them to participate.”
Students who fail the TAKS test have up to five opportunities to retake it during their junior and senior years. They also have an opportunity to pass the test in July, after commencement.
The Commissioner of Education and the State Board of Education requires that seniors not be allowed to graduate unless they pass the test. However, many school districts allow students who have not passed the test to participate in the graduation ceremony before retaking it in July.
Ms. Davis said her family was not informed about one of the TAKS retake opportunities, and voiced her displeasure of the district’s communication about the importance of the test.
“(Graduation) is a dream for me. I have one child walking (during the commencement ceremony) and now I have one who is not - I need to see both of my children walk,” said Ms. Davis.
The board was presented with paperwork from Dr. John Hancock, director of student services at TISD, that contained statistics as well as a list of options they could follow if they wanted to make a decision to update their policy.
One of the options included was to allow students who have not passed the test to walk and be presented with a district Certificate of Completion.
Board member Mary Klentzman made a motion to approve the option, but she did not receive the support of other board members and the motion did not receive a second.
“For many families, the students would be the first in their family to graduate from high school,” said Ms. Klentzman. “Walking across the stage during graduation provides those families with hope.”
Ms. Klentzman also voiced concerns about whether students who have participated in English as a Second Language and special education classes are properly tested.
According to the data provided by Hancock, two of the students who have not passed the test were new to the district during the 2007-08 year, two were involved in the ESL program, and 19 had excessive absences during the school year.
The data also showed there were a number of students who did not pass the test who were not expected to fulfill the school’s graduation requirements for the school year.
Among the options board members had was to allow students who have not passed the test to walk immediately following graduating students, or scheduling an August commencement for students who pass the test in July.
Hancock favored the district’s current policy, stating in his paperwork there would be a perception of lowered academic expectations if students were allowed to participate during ceremonies, and that students who walk are less likely to return to retake the test.
The paperwork also stated that historically students who have been involved in disruptions during graduation ceremonies have been disproportionately “non-grads.”
After the boards decision not to take action, several audience members stood around the Joe Everton Conference Room of the TISD Administration Offices voicing their displeasure at district officials before leaving.
Since there was no open public discussion on the agenda, only one audience member (Ms. Davis) w as allowed to speak during the meeting.
TAKS testing replaced Texas Assessment of Academic Skills (TAAS) testing in 2003.
