CAMPUS AND AREA
University Daily Kansan, February 20, 1984
Page 6
Competency exam required in Missouri
By STEPHANIE HEARN Staff Reporter
Missouri students must now pass a minimum competency test before graduating from high school because of a regulation passed by the Missouri Board of Education Friday.
But despite similar action in 19 states, Kansas has no such rule and is not considering one, according to State Ben, Betty Jo Charlton. D-Lawrence.
Students attending Kansas public schools are required to take the Kansas Minimum Competency Test in 2nd, 4th, 6th, 8th, and 11th grade, but the test does not affect grade advancement or graduation.
THE TEST is designed to compare school districts within the state of Kansas, said John Poggio, KU associate professor of educational psychology and research author of the Kansas Minimum Competency Test.
Missouri schools also currently use the results of competency tests to improve education programs and teaching methods.
Missouri public schools have required eight-grade students to take a minimum competency test since 1979. Students who the failed test to keep retaking it, but were allowed to graduate without passing it.
Charlton said Kansas school districts and teachers would oppose a test that determined whether students would graduate.
But some KU teachers who teach freshman entry-level courses would like to see the regulation passed in Kansas.
BILL KING, an assistant instructor of math at KU, said that requiring students to take a competency test before allowing them to graduate would be a positive step toward assuring that students are prepared to leave high school.
"It appears that students coming out of Kansas high schools are not required to take enough math," King said. "I believe a competency test would have forced force students to take more semester of math and English."
Theresa Pickel, a graduate teaching assistant in English, said that such a test would improve the students' knowledge of basic academic skills. But, she said, teaching methods need to be varied so teachers increased before students' competency scores would show improvement.
Other instructors, however, do not support a test.
JUDY MCMAHAN, an English teacher at Shawnee Mission West High School in Overland Park, said that a competent teacher rate. Students who weren't able to pass the test would become discouraged and quit, she said.
"It wouldn't do any good to keep students from graduating because they couldn't pass a test.
"I'd like to see the legislators take a competency test. I don't think most of them know."
The test is designed to measure eighth-grade skills in reading and language arts, math, and government.
The new regulation says that students will not receive course credit in a subject area that the student failed on the test.
According to an article in the Kansas City Times, the Missouri School Board's decision follows a study done last spring. The study shows that high school seniors who attended a particular school seniors flunked at least one part of the Basic Essential Skills Test.
Missouri students will have the opportunity to retest every year during high school, but once a student passes the basic skills test, it does not have to be retaken.
Lawrence escapes brunt of weekend storm
By TODD NELSON Staff Reporter
Winter, seemingly dormant during recent springlike conditions in northeastern Kansas, showed signs of life this weekend, flexing its muscles to produce a genuine winter storm across the Great Plains.
Although the storm merely lowered
temperatures and brought some rain to
the ground, it did not have an effect.
Kansas, Nebraska and much of the the upper Mississippi Valley.
But the return of winter to the midwest will apparently be short-lived.
RON CRANDALL, lead forecaster for the National Weather Service in Topeka, said that 60-degree temperatures will probably return to northwest.
A ridge of high pressure covering the central Rockies will draw warm, dry air from the southwest and bring sunshine and clear skies to Plains
states beginning today, Crandall said.
Yesterday, the KU Weather Service said that today's high should be 47 degrees. Tonight's low is expected to be about 28 degrees. Winds will be from the northwest, between 10 and 15 miles per hour.
Crandall said that highs tomorrow and Wednesday would climb into the
As 30 mph winds clogged roads with snow in western Kansas, central Nebraska and parts of South Dakota
and Iowa, skies were overcast and occasional rain fell in Lawrence.
LAWRENCE RECEIVED 03 inches of rain during the weekend, Crandall said. The low Saturday was 36 degrees and the high was 54 degrees. Yesterday's high was 39 degrees and the low was 21 degrees.
The storm dumped 11 inches of snow on Goodland, forcing Kansas State Highway Patrol officials to close the road. 7 To goodland to Denver Friday night.
ON CAMPUS
TODAY
"PARIS 1900" will be shown at 1:30 p.m. in the auditorium of the Helen
Museum of Fine Arts, 745 W. 20th St., New York, NY 10026.
DEPARTMENT OF MUSIC will hold Graduate Honor Recital at B.p.m. in the following hours:
WESCOE HALL Photovoltaic
THE LIFE ISSUE SEMINAR "Nuclear Holocaust and Christian Hope" will discuss "The Way of the Cross" at 4:30 p.m. at the Ecumenical Christian Ministries, 1204 Oread Ave. PHOTOALL:
Clocktower Design Competition entries are due from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the west architecture office of Marvin Hall.
LATIN AMERICAN SOLIDARITY
at 5:30 p.m. in the Oread
Road of the Kaiser
ERIC CHOZIER, will lecture on Benjamin Britten's early education at 3:30 PM.
TOMORROW
LATIN AMERICAN SOLIDARITY will present "Dollars & Dictators: A Guide to Central America" at noon and 5 p.m. in the Pine Room of the Union.
"I AM A WITNESS" will be presented at 7 p.m. by the Baptist Student Union, 1629 W. 19th St.
NANCY EVANS will work with advanced voice students from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. today and tomorrow in Swarthout Recital Hall.
OWL SOCIETY will meet at 4 p.m. today and tomorrow in the International Room.
THE THEOLOGICAL SEMINAR
"Spiritual Formation. Three Movements of Spirital Life" will meet to discuss "A Creative Response" at an event at the Ecumenical Ministries.
BROWN BAG LUNCH For Students Interested in Study Abroad will be from noon to 1 p.m. in the Governor's Room of the union.
KU MOUNT AINEER BACKPACKING Association will meet at 6:30 p.m. in the Oread Room of the Union.
Diet Facts & Fallacies
FIBER
Fiber itself has no known nutrients, little or no calories, and unlike proteins, carbohydrates and fats, is not digested, passing through the large intestine almost unchanged. However, foods rich in
Because of the "fast-food" society we live in, many foods have been refined in processing, thus losing their valuable fiber. Refined foods are often quick and easy to prepare and store well, but seldom provide the body with necessary vitamins, minerals and bulk. Sufficient bulk or fiber is important in one's diet to help alleviate constipation.
fiber, such as fruits and grains,
usually require more chewing and
more saliva than many other foods;
and some experts believe chewing
sends a signal to the brain saying
that you are satisfied.
Diet Center stresses that eating whole fruits is more satisfying than drinking fruit juices. These fruits supply a good amount of sugar to be digestive than juices, and are excellent sources of energy.
CALL 841-DIET
Cathy Kesinger Dietologist
935 IOWA ST. HILLCREST MED. CTR.
TONIGHT 9-11 P.M.
FREE STRAWBERRY DAIQUIRIS
FOR LADIES. HAPPY HOUR
PRICES FOR GUYS.
Half price for KU Students
The University of Kansas School of Fine Arts Chamber Music Series Presents
The Empire Brass Quintet
The program will include classical brass works from the Baroque and Renaissance and of a lighter nature as selected by the artists.
Rolf Smedvig, Trumpet Charles A. Lewis, Jr., Trump David Ohanian, French Horn Lawrence Isaacson, Trombone Samuel Pilafan, Tuba 8:00 p.m. Sunday, March 4, 1984 Cratton-Prever Theater/Murphy Hall
meet on sale in the Murphy Hall Box Office. All seats reserved for reservations. call gail@public.hsbc.org; 80 % & 80 KU students with ID: 48 & 53; senior citizens and other students.
WHOEVER THOUGHT WRITING COULD BE SO FINE?
This performance is partially funded by the KU Student Activity Fee, Swarthout Society and the KU Endowment Association. A University Arts Festival presentation.
If you love fine writ-
ing, now you
can choose be-
tween two Precise
Rolling Ball pens that
write so fine yet flow so
smoothly you'll wonder
how we made it possible.
Only The Precise allows you to write beautifully in either fine paint or extra fine paint. The finest paints are Only S11
The price is even finer. Only $1.19
PILOT PRECISE ROLLING BALL PENS.
2 OF THE FINER THINGS IN LIFE.
PILOT precise Rolling Ball
Series aims to make languages less foreign
By KEVIN LOLLAR Staff Reporter
There's an old German saying: Wer fremde Sprache nicht kennt, weieth nichts von seiner eigenen Eiener. He knows nothing of his languages, knows nothing of his own.
This is just part of what David Dinnenne, professor of linguistics, is trying to point out in a series of symposia for language teachers financed by a grant from the Humanities. Endowment for the Humanities.
"Studying a foreign language makes you see the world in a different way," she says. "It makes you see from home how other people view the world."
"ONE WAY to define human being is the ability to talk, to communicate. If it is a human characteristic to talk, then you want to grow as a human being by being able to talk to more people."
The first meeting in the series took place earlier this month and centered on the problems of high school students. Now how can the college programs can help?
But in recent years, resistance to foreign language study has grown, creating the need for educators to teach it and its importance to the humanities.
One of the biggest problems with
high school programs, Dineen said,
is that many language teachers did not major in the language they are trained in and some didn't even minor in it.
But Dinneen insists that knowledge of a foreign language can have vocational advantages.
He tells the story of a former student who was working as a receptionist for the publisher of a fashion magazine. One day as she was sitting at her desk, a woman in heavy French accent, to see the boxes.
Dinnen say that the resistance to studying foreign languages comes in part from educators' tendency to use vocationally geared curricula.
THE RECEPTIONIST, who had studied French, was the only one in the office who could speak to her. The woman was suitably impressed and took the receptionist into the boss's office to act as translator.
Dinneen says that knowledge of a foreign language will be increasingly important for anyone looking for a job during the next 20 years.
The boss recognized the receptionist's talent, and moved her up in the company Now she travels to France as a magazine staff member.
THE TEACHERS are thrown into awkward situations because many schools can't afford full-time language instructors, he said.
Dr. Paul G. Limberg Optometrist has assumed the practice of Dr. Dale Sillix Optometrist
EYE EXAMINATIONS CONTACT LENSES FASHION FRAMES
Now Available
GRADUATE POSITIONS 1984-85
CALL
843-5966
202 Lawrence National
Bank Building
Lawrence, Kansas
Scholarship Hal Directors
3/4 time, 10 month position
$4.300.00 plus room and board
Applications in 123 Strong Hall Office of Residential Programs
Deadline: March 2, 1984
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HAWK'S NEST 9:00 am-3:30 pm M/F KANSAS UNION LEVEL 2
SPECIALS
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 20
Hot Dog
Nacho w/ Cheese
12 oz. Drink
(Blue Cup) $1.70
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 21
Hot Ham w/ Cheese on Onion Bun
French Fries
12 oz. Drink
(Blue Gum)
$2.55
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 22
Polish Sausage
Hot German Potato Salad
12 oz. Drink
(Blue Cup) $1.50
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 23
Nacho/Chili Pie
12 oz. Drink
(Blue Cup)
$1.45
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 24
Hot Turkey
Mashed Potato w/ Gravy
12 oz. Drink
(Blue Cup)
$1.90
Now Serving Breakfast 9:00 am-10:30 am.