Thursday, Dec. 6, 2007
Pebbles Proctor will be on camera soon, starring in a role that could change her future.
Proctor, 16, a junior at Suitland High School, is one of seven Prince George’s County students taking part this school year in a pilot program that offers alternatives to the High School Assessments, state-mandated exams in biology, algebra, English and government. Passing the tests is required for high school graduation beginning with the class of 2009. But because many students are having trouble passing – about 2,000 county juniors still need to pass at least one HSA to graduate in spring 2009 – alternative testing options were piloted in Prince George’s, Talbot and Howard counties.
The initiative, known as the ‘‘bridge plan,” was approved by the state school board and will be used statewide next year. It allows Maryland’s 24 school districts to administer state-issued projects to take the place of HSAs in cases where students have consistently failed the exams and are in danger of not graduating from high school.
The alternative test for Proctor will consist of working through algebra problems on camera. Administrators will review the recording and determine whether she passed and qualified for a high school diploma.
‘‘I know a lot of the steps ... but when I get to some steps, I just forget what to do,” Proctor said during an after-school study session Monday with her algebra teacher, Elise Wages.
The pilot program only focuses on algebra, so students had to have taken an algebra HSA course, failed the test twice and demonstrated difficulty on standard ‘‘pencil-and-paper” math tests throughout their high school career to qualify for the alternative test. Students seeking to take the alternative tests next year will need to meet the same requirements.
The state’s full implementation of the program will include different forms of testing for all four subjects. Some alternatives could include projects overseen by teachers and administrators.
‘‘We were looking for students who knew the content but couldn’t produce on paper,” said Peggy Harrington, a supervisor in the school system’s Department of Testing, which has overseen the pilot program.
Since the county’s pilot program started in late October, students at Suitland and Dr. Henry A. Wise Jr. High School in Upper Marlboro have met with teachers after school several times a week. The teacher they have worked with since October will administer the 23-question HSA test, and a testing specialist will be present during the exam.
After failing the algebra HSA twice in two years, Proctor said her confidence has been shaken.
‘‘I’m nervous,” she said. ‘‘I know I can talk it out, but I don’t know if I can write it out.”
Wages has been working with Proctor to help her prepare for the alternative test she will take in January. During the session Monday, they went step by step through algebra questions, mapping out the process for each formula.
Wages said Proctor’s math skills improved when she saw the process worked out on paper or on the chalkboard.
‘‘Some students need to see the process rather than just being told what to do,” said Wages, adding that she would not be able to offer any help on test day.
‘‘I can’t coach her ... and I can’t coax her in any way,” she said.
Maryland students will be eligible for the alternative HSA option if they meet community service and attendance requirements and minimum class credits by the end of their junior year.
The Maryland State Department of Education will design the criteria for the alternative testing, and each school system will administer the projects.
‘‘This is really outside of the box,” Harrington said. ‘‘You are not just putting students in a room and saying, ‘Here’s your test booklet.’ ... We’re interested in seeing how this plays out.”
William Ritter, head of the school system’s High School Consortium, an office that oversees all 24 Prince George’s high schools, said the program would let teachers and officials find what methods are most effective in alternative testing.
‘‘Is this a valid way for students to really earn a diploma and not something that’s a lessening of standards?” he said. ‘‘Because I don’t think anybody wants that.”
If different testing strategies prove effective, Ritter said, the program could show educators, parents and students that the alternative is just as challenging as the traditional HSA tests.
‘‘If it works, it might be a more rigorous way than the traditional way to earn a diploma,” Ritter said. ‘‘When the youngster has to do quality writing and engage in face-to-face interaction, you get a better feel for how he understands the material.”
Patricia Alexander, a professor in education psychology at the University of Maryland, College Park, said the concept of alternative testing is a step forward for Maryland schools, but the execution of the untraditional testing will determine the validity of the state’s plan.
‘‘One size fits all is never wise,” she said. ‘‘People learn differently, learning is complex, therefore alternatives make a lot of sense.”
Many Prince George’s parents and education activists said they were concerned that the alternative plan would create a ‘‘second-tier diploma,” devaluing a completed high school education. State and county officials have stressed that certification and diplomas will be the same for students who pass nontraditional HSAs.
‘‘[Offering the test only to students who fail HSAs] gives the impression off the bat that this is a secondary quality assessment,” Alexander said. ‘‘This will take a lot of care and thought.”
