Funds sought for students who fail grad test

The thousands of students who failed the state's high school graduation test might get millions of dollars in extra help if the state school board has its way.

The State Board of Education on Friday voted to ask the Legislature to give schools money to bring up to par the some 8,000 students who are behind on reading, the 12,000 below par on math, and the 10,100 falling through the cracks on the writing portions of the Utah Basic Skills Competency test.

The board also voted, if budgets allow, to ask for even more money for math help in fourth through sixth grades — the critical time when lessons start moving from addition and subtraction to algebraic reasoning, and many students are lost. Last year's core curriculum test shows 28 percent to 39 percent of fourth- through sixth-graders are struggling in math.

"They're both really important," state board chairman Kim Burningham said of the budget requests. And money for UBSCT, which starts counting for this year's high school juniors, is "a politically felt need right now."

It's uncertain just how much the efforts would cost. But State Superintendent of Public Instruction Patti Harrington estimated the UBSCT portion — to be used to hire tutors — in the $20 million range. The math could cost another $20 million to $30 million.

State associate superintendent Patrick Ogden will compile firmer numbers by October.

The dollars likely will be included in the board's budget request for the 2005 Legislature. The board will continue budget discussions next month.

Data examined Friday indicate its request will be substantial.

Top-ranked needs, including paying for enrollment growth and a 2.3 percent weighted pupil unit increase, would equal a $78 million.

That's not counting proposals for $2.3 million to help districts educate children with severe disabilities, $2.6 million to fill in budget cuts on adult education, and $1.2 million for guidance counseling, and possible money to help schools that repeatedly fail to pass muster under No Child Left Behind to bus students to higher-performing schools.

It also doesn't include the UBSCT or the elementary math help.

The math request would help the board forward its work toward a competency-based education system called "Performance Plus." The goal is to graduate students competent in reading, writing and math, plus an array of other disciplines, from science and social studies to arts and service learning.