And so students who completed their course work, whether they passed the exit exam or not, will get the coveted sheepskin. That's only fair. Those who took the UBSCT three times, but did not pass, will have a note to that effect on their diplomas.

The school board's decision reflects a sad reality of education in Utah: Some students who were required to take the inaugural graduation exam this year were not adequately prepared to pass it. Many minority students had left school before test time came around; nearly half fail to graduate.

When the Class of 2006 started first grade, spending the proper amount of time in class and earning the required number of credits were the only graduation requirements. Demonstrating overall proficiency was not part of the deal, for students or teachers.

Before 2004, competency was assumed but not required.

It would hardly be fair, then, for the Board of Education to change the rules midway through the game. There simply has not been the time or the resources to bring all of today's high school juniors and seniors up to the UBSCT level. Faced with the competency-based requirements, teachers are focusing more on reading, math and language arts, the three subjects covered by the test. That shift, along with the disaggregation of test scores for minority students, English language learners and those with disabilities, could eventually improve the performance of most students.

When schools are able to fully prepare every student, they can more fairly grant diplomas only to those who prove they have learned the material.

But remediation and preparation cost money, and so far, the Utah Legislature has largely ignored that reality. Proposals to improve reading and math skills in the early grades and fund all-day kindergarten for low-income students have been given short shrift.

Unless that changes, a diploma will always be out of reach for many Utah students.