Alternate exam sought

Utah has no appeals for students failing the test, whereas Ohio students can appeal if they're within 10 percent of proficiency, have 97 percent attendance, a 2.5 grade point average and teachers backing up their skill set, Hill said.

She eschewed using college entrance tests as a basic skills test alternative, as has been discussed on Capitol Hill, saying SAT and ACT officials said they didn't want their tests used as such.

But Utah could look at several different tests to assess basic skills, and help students who need it early on, Hill said. An appeals process would require legislation.

Sen. Howard Stephenson, R-Draper and co-chairman of the schools budget subcommittee, praised the summit as a way to share concerns and ideas.

But Sen. Lyle Hillyard, R-Logan, co-chairman of the Executive Appropriations Committee, called the summit only the beginning of dialogue.

"My concern would be I think we need more of a follow-up ... (on) what this means for us in appropriations," Hillyard said in an interview. "It's easy to raise issues; the question that's more important is how we're going to solve them."

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