PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — The class of 2012 will be the first in Oregon with a reading requirement for graduation from high school. But nearly 7,000 seniors have yet to pass the state’s test and won’t get their diplomas until they do — or until they pass an equivalent test at their schools.
The Oregonian reports (http://bit.ly/qDZEHM ) that schools have known since last school year which students had failed the test as sophomores. Students can retake the test in their junior and senior years. The percentage of students who haven’t passed has shrunk from 29 percent but still stands at 17 percent.
The paper says state figures show that 26 large- and medium-size high schools have more than 50 seniors at risk of failing to graduate because of weak reading skills.
