News from the Superintendent: September 27, 2010

September 27, 2010

Good afternoon.

Today I wanted to bring to your attention a new requirement that will have a great impact on our high school students later this year. It involves a change in testing requirements to graduate.

The Public Education Department announced Friday that starting next spring, the New Mexico Standards Based Assessment becomes the high school exit exam for the state. That means that the stakes become higher for individual students as well as schools, at least for high school juniors.

The SBA/High School Graduation Assessment, as it will now be known, replaces the New Mexico High School Competency Exam that was used for 24 years. The NMHSCE was not given to sophomores this past spring. According to PED, any students who has taken the NMHSCE and not passed it will still be retested on it.

Other details we know, so far, are that juniors will take the SBA/HSGA next spring and if they don’t pass it, they can try again during fall and spring of their senior year. A portfolio option is being developed for use beyond that time.

This is certainly a huge change for students. One of the biggest differences will be the shortened timeline if they don’t pass the test the first time. They will need to get the job done the first time, or it will be hanging over their heads during their senior year. We know that there are kids who just need more time to get past the NMHSCE, even when they are passing their classes and accumulating the necessary credits.

On the positive side, this change can help our high schools meet AYP. The test becomes important to more than just the schools. With their graduation hanging in the balance, students will have plenty of personal motivation to make sure they are proficient. The SBA/HSGA will cover reading, writing, math, science and social studies. The PED’s news release said that a different set of passing scores from those used for AYP will be established to determine eligibility for a diploma.

This will be an adjustment for this year’s students who weren’t expecting this, but I expect this will become routine for everyone in a year or two. The PED will be releasing more details after Oct. 1.

In the meantime, you can read the entire news release on the PED’s website at http://www.ped.state.nm.us/press/2010/Exit%20Exams%209-24-10.pdf.

Have a great week.

Winston Brooks
Superintendent