Utah to Give Diplomas to Students Who Fail State Exit Exam

Utah students can receive a high school diploma even if they fail to pass all portions of the state’s exit test, but those diplomas will specify that the students haven’t passed the exam.

That decision by the state board of education, made Jan. 12, comes as a growing number of states are grappling with whether to hold firm on high school graduation requirements even as many students fail to pass graduation exams. Earlier this month, California’s schools chief announced that he would not support any alternatives to that state’s exit exam, which students must pass starting in June. ( "Calif. Schools Chief Sticks by Exit-Exam Requirement," Jan. 18, 2006.)

Utah law requires students, starting with this year’s graduating class, to pass the mathematics, reading, and writing portions of the Utah Basic Skills Competency Test to receive a basic high school diploma. About 16 percent of seniors, or 5,710 students, still have not passed one or more portions of the test, according to figures released by the state office...