University Daily Kansan
Thursday, April 6, 1978
3
Education conference to study competency testing
By SUSAN WOODARD
Staff Writer
Whether Johnny can read a label, fill out a job application and balance his checkbook by the time he leaves high school are current concerns of parents and educators.
The University of Kansas School of Education will deal with the issue of teaching effectiveness Friday in its four seminars in Education, Competency Assessment.
According to Dale P. Scannell, dean of the School of Education, interest in competency testing came from concern over lower scores in the SAT and ACT tests and the results of some studies showing an increase in functional illiteracy.
THE AVERAGE ACT score in Kansas has dropped from 20.6 in 1971 to 18.7 in 1977. The
national average dropped from 19.6 in 1971 to 18.4 in 1977.
Marle R. Bolton, Kansas commissioner of education, said yesterday that 22 percent of the students in Kansas in grades one through six were reading at levels of six months or more below their grades. The 22 percent adds up to about 39,000 students.
Friday's education conference will deal mainly with the problems of how to test for competency—what kinds of skills to test and how to measure them accurately.
In response to lower scores, the Kansas Legislature has introduced six bills this session on competency-based education. One of them, House Bill 3115, was passed by the Senate and sent to the Senate. The Senate amended the bill heavily. It is now in a conference committee.
UNDER THE House bill, the Kansas State Board of Education would conduct a pilot program of competency testing in 20 school districts during the 1978-1979 school year. The board would provide the districts with a sample competency standards to work with.
On the basis of the pilot study, the board would be required by June 30, 1979 to adopt a set of state minimum competency standards in reading, spelling and mathematics.
Beginning in the 1979-1980 school year, schools would have to design programs to test pupils. Some schools would be required to test pupils at least once a year in grades one through eight. Any student who failed the eighth grade was forced to retake the test each year until he passed.
Trail supporters to pedal in rally
By JEFF TEVIS
By JEFF TEVIS Staff Writer
Local bikers are planning a bike-hike rally to show their support for a proposed bike trail between Lawrence and Tonanza xie.
The rally, sponsored by a variety of local bike enthusiasts, will start at 1 p.m. Sunday at the Tongonaki City Hall. Tongonaxie is 13 miles northeast of Lawrence.
The rally is to support the proposed O-keesha Trail, which now is an abandoned 13-mile-long stretch of Union Pacific Railroad track. The trail would run along U.S. 24-04 from one mile south of Tonganoxie to Lawrence.
THE FUTURE of the trail currently
hinges upon whether the railroad will donate the 13 miles of 100-feet-wide right-of-way to the State Park for supervision.
George Latham, said of Gran Sport in Lawrence, said that he hoped the railroad would donate the land in lieu of opposition from farmers along the river, who had opposed the deal to set the property.
Under federal law, abandoned railroad land goes to the owners of land adjacent to the railroad without cost. However, if a state agency requests the land within 120 days of the abandonment, they have first had no state agencies have made invasions.
"WE'RE JUST hoping to convert it (the
land) from one form of public transportation to another. I latham said.
everyone that loves nature is invited+
bakers, bikers, birdwatchers and plant
lovers.
Mount Oread Bicycle Club, one of the sponsors of the rally, will lead a bike tour from Lawrence to Tonganoxie. The tour will start at 10:30 on Sunday morning.
THE LOCAL board would be responsible for providing remedial programs for those students who did not pass the competency test.
The pilot program of testing was the only part of the House bill to be passed by the House.
According to Bolton, 13 of the state's 307 school districts already have implemented student parking policies.
IN SOME states, passing a competency test is required for graduation from high school. However, the Kansas House bill does not require passing the test for graduation.
set by the state. In others, the standards are set by local school boards.
So far, 31 states have instituted statewide competency education programs. In some states, such programs are
The featured speaker at the conference will be Robert Ebel, professor of education and psychology at Michigan State University. Ebel will speak on the philosophical issues and implications of the competency movement.
OTHER GUEST speakers will be Jerry Scheiner, director of the United
School Administrators of Kansas, and Marion McGhehy, executive director of the Kansas Association of School Board and executive secretary of the National Organization of Legal Problems in Education.
Schreiner and McGheehay will speak on the assets and liabilities of competency and accuracy.
The conference will be from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the Kansas Union. The cost is $10, and persons interested in attending should contact the office at the Continuing Education Building.
Second group to protest Rabin visit
The University Events Committee approved yesterday another request by a University of Kansas organization to protest a scheduled speech tonight by former Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin.
Last week, the committee approved the Order of Arab Students to attend from 7:30 p.m. and to protest from 7:30 p.m. in front of Hafr Auditorium; site of
The Moslem Students Association received permission from the committee to march from 11 a.m. to 12.30 p.m., from Strong Hall to the Kansas Union along the north sidewalk of Jayhawk Boulevard.
The committee has cautioned both organizations that excessive noise was not permissible and that the organizations' members could be restrained by the peace if any complaints were received by the KU Police Department.
Mike Hill, director of KU police, said no additional security measures would be taken because of the demonstrations against Rabin.
Rabin is scheduled to deliver the 1978 J.A. Vickers Memorial Lecture at 8 tonight in Hoch Auditorium.
Now a member of the Knesset, the Israeli parliament, Rabin served as prime minister of Israel from April 1974 to June 1977.
Relax next Fall—Move to Naismith!
Who's number 1 in your life? We've asked our residents. If it's not their maid, she's pretty darn close to being number 1. Nobody likes cleaning and dusting and vacuuming their own room. At Naismith our "Number One" girls do it for you every week and, they clean your semi-patients too!
WHO'S NUMBER 1?
YOUR EDUCATION DOESN'T STOP HERE
Your education doesn't stop with a beautiful degree. It begins with the way you present yourself and, indeed, what your all of that knowledge and experience will reveal.
Take the Air Force for example. As a commander officer and chief of staff, you would be expected to be an expert system. Complex systems. You will be required to perform well and be able to solve complex problems.
You can get there through the Air Force ROTC program. In fact you have a scholarship that will not付你 $1,000 tax free and pay for all button, books and flyer. And that will give you to concern your studies so you can get with your place where you live.
Check it out. Find out how you can get into a "growth program" like the Air Force. It's a great way to serve your country, and possibly learn new skills and techniques.
SOPHOMORES: Apply now for the Junior Senior Air
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A V O R J O U R G E .
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