Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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t % t Volume LXIX, No. B5 University of South Carolina, Columbia, S.C. Nov. 1Q, 1S"7B By Edith McNeill Gamecock Staff Writer More than 100 USC students will National Teacher Examinatior Saturday , and if past scores ai dication, about 25 percent of th< sective teachers will fail. "We are very embarrassed tha percent of the students failed the William W. Savage, a USC professor, said about last vear's BUT USC'S failure rate examinations is low when com schools like Baptist College in CI which had a 70 percent failure Benedict College in Columbia whic percent failure rate. Exams were ' students at those schools in Novel and February 1977. Although Savage maintains the relatively easy, several black have said the tests are "culturall and requirements to pass the exa are too stringent. A student must be able to read grade level and must score about i 20 percent of the other students in tl pass the NTE, Savage said. TO TEACH English in South C student must score at least 510 on Common Examination which testi in areas of general knowlpHcrp Sni This first exam, usually administe morning, lasts about two hours ternoon examination, a teaching ai tests students in their major sub The highest score a student can i each of the two exams is 800. For e prospective English teacher Carolina must make a combinec 1041. Opponents of the NTE have said answers to questions students possibly learn in college and thai should either be eliminated or ano objective test should replace it. But, some educators strongly jljjpp' jfiEsSstsiqJf^ jJm^!SS^ **?? V* '" **i* 4 m- ~ / jrj* Cor t take the is, NTE, j 1 re an in- |^| )se prosp- LV/ :t 25 to 29 exams," "The reason I suppoi education ?* one brutal fact: 1 scores. doesn't necessarily n and write," Savage on the ipared to THIS PAST summi harleston, at USC-Spartanburg ' i ir i f i i rate, and nimseii ana iouna i h had a 97 biased." written by "The exam asked mber 1976 Simon, Mick Jagger said Michael Dressn tests are a ?f questions al educators someone might not k y ^ rsiscQ in B \ minations background." Dressman, who s< at a 10th centile said he was ra ** wpII ?c class background. 44 he U.S. to for someone like me right kind of attitud FOR STUDENTS arolina, a new USC short cou aWeighted September to help th } students round of exams. /age said. USC professor 1 red in the teaches the course, i . The af- students has just en reaexam, made borderline sc ject. determine the readii receive on diagnostic reading xample, a students in the clas in South were encouraged not I score of course, Burgraff sai Burcraff said he ht it asks for correlation between couldn't scores students recc t the NTE Although the p ther more general knowledge exams, his ability tc disagree. Burgraff said. ^kh^hi mm ILIUVIS1 dlC c held Sai rt the exam is because s.C. HEP. hat a college diploma Richland) a* lean someone can read bitrary test tl said. real ability t In May, ? ?r an English nrnfpsenr ? /i o f roiicisun Vi took the examinations opposing the hem to be "culturally was defeatec Rep. Moff questions about Carly opposed the and Louis Armstrong," establish rei lan. "They (sic) asked not dyed-in-t bout current fads that abolishing tl now unless he had been test." vhite, middle-class JOHNSON zored in the 99th per- educators al lised in a white, middle- teacher's sfi ine exam was perfect uniair. . You have to have the Although I e to pass the exam." bytheS.C. D u r m j the U.S. Supi who failed the NTE, a pgy g^ie ar rse was introduced in {^is year em prepare for the next Teachers David Burgraff, who scales depen said the first class of 32 John Mayna ded. Most of the class tificatiori of ;ores on the NTE. To teacher mac ig level of the group, a was paid hig test was given. Six Scores belov s read so poorly they "D" and tei t to continue taking the d. AFTER l elieves there is a direct were paid tl reading ability and the system if th -v- ii?!.. a. ? a._ . ;ive on uieir wno already rospective teacher's system wert can be tested on the to upgrade > teach a subject can't, Maynardsai certificates. wLf t '?x j >1MTP ?5- ^5 i JL-^ turday I.S. LEEVY JOHNSON (D;reed. "We think it is an ar hat doesn't measure a person's 0 teach school," he said. Johnson and S.C. Rep. Kay )-Richland) introduced a bill NTE. However, the measure 1 57-40. att Burriss, R-Richland, who bill said, "You've got to isonably high standards. I'm he-wool NTE, but I'm not for le NTE until we get another , AND other legislators and so said they felt that basing a ilary on his NTE score was iiat practice was discontinued epartment of Education in 1969, reme Court upheld this use of a id the NTE itself in January of were paid on four different ding on their NTE scores, said ird, Director of Teacher Certhe education department. If a le above 500 on the exams he hest and received a certificate. / 500 ranked from "B" down to achers were paid accordingly. 969. all Drosnertivp fpAnhprs tie same salary under the new .. icy passed the NTE. Teachers held certificates under the old ; allowed to take the test again ? their salaries. However, id, a few teachers still hold "B" mgm&m: |?S5kS? : : : > . . Less than one percer Richland County School certificates, but those \ less a year than other Few states other thar the NTE to determine w allowed to teach. Louisi North Carolina still us< mine wno can receive Georgia, for instance, j must hold a four year credited college and mi Reference Test which NTE. BECAUSE THE use Carolina has been oppo! the General Assemblj study of the long range < on education in South 1 A 41~member advisor this past month to study its findings to the S. Education. The board \ recommendations abot General Assembly c Maynard said. About 10 differeni citizens' groups are i Maynard said. Amoi National Association fo of Colored People, NA Education Association, will state their positioi what they think should b of the exams on Noven ISSAC WILLIAMS, NAACP, said "We'd like a consensus about the < on education." Will inmc cairl momKn Tdiituiiio ouiu 111 vlll MXZthe exam should not "overriding concern. W the exam but it shouldi important as it is." Exams will begin no at Richland Northeast it of the teachers in I District 2 hold "E " vho do are paid $81)4 teachers. i South Carolina use ho will or will not be ana, Mississippi and j the NTE to detera certificate. But in >rospective teachers degree from an acust pass a Criterion is somewhat like of the NTE in South sed by many groups, r has authorized a Df affects of the NTE Carolina y group was created the NTE and report C. State Board of vill in turn make its jt the NTE to the ?n Feb. 15, 1979, t educational and Dn the committee, lg them are the r the Advancement lACP, and the S.C. The various groups is on the NTE and e done about the use nber 28. president of the ! very much to reach ixam and its effects rs of the NAACP feel be faced as an e shouldn't get rid of i't be considered as later than 8:30 a.m. High School.