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Twenty percent of Utah high school seniors failed the state's exit exam, but achievement gaps between some groups of students narrowed.

The percentage of seniors who passed the Utah Basic Skills Competency Test (UBSCT) this year - 80 percent - is nearly 2 percent higher than last year. Deborah Swensen, director of assessment at the Utah State Office of Education, attributed the higher passage rate to schools focusing more attention on struggling students.

Despite the slight gain this year, state education officials are troubled that 20 percent of the state's 37,693 seniors didn't pass the test.

"It's always a concern when a student isn't able to demonstrate those basic skills," Swensen said. Students who don't pass the test but meet all other high school graduation requirements and attempt the exam at least three times receive diplomas that note they didn't pass the UBSCT.

Students have five chances throughout high school to pass. Many say it is important to them.

"If you don't pass it, you don't get a regular diploma," said Highland High School senior Erik Cortes. "Some employers might not trust you."

Though a higher percentage of seniors passed the UBSCT this year overall, achievement gaps remained.

About 57 percent of Latino seniors passed, compared with 84 percent of white seniors. About 62 percent of economically disadvantaged seniors passed the exam, along with 53 percent of seniors learning English.

"It takes more than just a couple of years to acquire a new language, and I think that's why they struggle," Swensen said of the English learners. She said some groups are slowly making gains.

The percentage of Latino seniors who passed this year increased by 9 percent. Other ethnic groups, including American Indian, black, Pacific Islander and white seniors also saw increases. The percentage of Asian seniors who passed fell by about 1 percent.

Swensen said school districts offer remediation classes to help students who struggle to pass the exam. The Granite School District, for example, uses a UBSCT math program to help its students, said Darryl Thomas, Granite director of research, assessment and evaluation.

Students seem to have the most trouble passing the math portion of the UBSCT. Of this year's seniors, 84 percent passed the math portion, 91 percent passed reading, and 88 percent passed writing. Students must pass all three sections to pass the test.

Swensen said the math portion covers algebra, pre-algebra and basic geometry concepts. The reading and writing exams test students at about an eighth-grade level, she said.

Jordan School District, Utah's largest, also works to identify students who struggle with the UBSCT as early as 10th grade, the first time students have a chance to take it. Struggling students can take classes and participate in afterschool programs to help them focus on basic skills, said Clyde Mason, Jordan assessment director.

In Jordan, 91 percent of this year's graduating class passed the exit exam, nearly 1 percent higher than last year's seniors, Mason said. Like the rest of the state, Jordan also has gaps between some ethnic, ability and income groups.

"That's very much a concern for us, and we're working hard to consciously identify programs and processes to raise those [numbers]," Mason said. "These are basic skills that will help students be productive and successful in their lives no matter what vocation or profession they go in to."

Thomas said Granite doesn't keep figures at the district level showing how many of its seniors have passed the exam.

So far, nearly 77 percent of this year's Utah juniors have passed the UBSCT, which could put them on track for next year to surpass the percentage of this year's seniors who passed, Swensen said. Sixty-four percent of this year's sophomores already have passed the test.

Highland High School senior William Morris said underclassmen shouldn't worry too much.

"I thought it was a pretty easy test," Morris said.