Bullard seniors among those who won't walk
TAKS failure blocks some from graduating
Staff, wire reports

Sixteen percent of Texas high school seniors won't graduate this spring because they failed at least one of the state's required exit-level exams, the Texas Education Agency said.

And a handful of those are Bullard High School students.

Upset parents attended last week's Bullard school board meeting, but no action was taken regarding allowing the seniors to walk the stage without successful TAKS completion.

The seniors have another chance to take the test but not before graduation on Friday.

"We're going to take another look at district policy in June," said BISD trustee John Alexander.

And while that doesn't help the class of 2007, if the TAKS remains as is, it may change graduation in future years.

"It's just the rules," said assistant principal Scott Franks. "And we can't alter or change the rules without the board doing so."

One problem, Alexander said, is that some of the parents said they were aware of the problem since October. But they didn't give us - as a board - enough time to make a wellthought out decision," he said. "I wish they had come to us sooner with their concerns."

A record high 40,182 students from the Class of 2007 failed all or part of the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills graduation exams, which cover math, science, social studies and English.

The students first take the exams during their junior year and have five opportunities to pass.

Texas Education Commissioner Shirley Neeley encouraged the students to keep studying and try again this summer.

"We know that it is heartbreaking for students to miss graduating with their class," Neeley said. "I know the immediate concern deals with commencement activities, but students also need to keep their eye on the ultimate goal _ earning a high school diploma."

Overall, 84 percent of seniors passed all four of the graduation exams.

Passing rates on the exitlevel exams dropped in math, science and social studies. English scores were the same as last year.

The 16 percent of seniors who failed is up from 13 percent last year. Next year could be better, however, as juniors taking the graduation exam this spring passed at a 69 percent rate, an increase from last year's juniors.

About 3 million Texas students in grades three through 11 took TAKS exams this spring. Statewide, 70 percent of students passed all tests taken, up from 64 percent last year.