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PASS Standards "College and Career Ready," But Not Perfect

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The process and findings of a review of Priority Academic Student Skills standards by the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education and the Southern Regional Education Board was presented Thursday before the Oklahoma Standards Steering Committee, revealing some recommended changes. 

Gov. Mary Fallin signed HB3399 in June, repealing Common Core standards in English Language Arts (ELA) and math and temporarily replacing them with the PASS standards state educators used in 2010. The Oklahoma Standards Steering Committee is tasked with developing a new set of standards by 2016.

Earlier this month, Oklahoma Regents for Higher Education declared PASS standards to be college and career ready.

The committees used ACT College and Career Readiness Standards to evaluate PASS standards because, said Dr. Blake Sonobe, vice president of academic affairs for the state Regents, the ACT exam is one of the primary tools of assessment by local and national colleges and universities.

The committees reviewed ACT standards for the score ranges of 20-23 and 24-27 and compared them to PASS standards. These score ranges were selected because they represent the ACT scores required by state colleges and universities.

After comparing the standards sets, Sonobe said the committees were able to weed out PASS standards that did not "compare favorably" with ACT standards.

Chancellor Glen Johnson said the committee thought the PASS standards, as they were, were already, at a minimum, college and career ready.

Still, for the purpose of the Oklahoma Standards Steering Committee, he said it would be helpful to list things that could still be improved or put more clearly. 

The ELA committee found three major recommendations for PASS standards, including standard coherence of curriculum and improving the specificity of written standard language.

The math committee found five major recommendations, including clarifying language for math standards and further emphasizing the importance of mathematics and encouraging students of all grade levels to enroll in math courses.

During the hearing, the committee also approved a set of job requirements that will be used to hire an executive director to assist in the implementation of the state's new set of standards.

The position would be temporary and last until the new standards have been put in place. The committee hopes to further discuss the hiring at their next meeting.

James Cook, a past president of Seminole State Junior College and Rose State College, was named by the committee as a prospective hire.

The Oklahoma Standards Steering Committee has planned its next meeting for Monday, Nov. 17.

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