A group of lawmakers on Wednesday told educators they want it made clear on diplomas or certificates whether recipients have passed the test, which is required of graduates for the first time this year. "I recognize we have a lot of students who give their best effort . . . and can't pass UBSCT," Sen. Howard Stephenson, R-Draper, said at an Administrative Rules Review Committee meeting. "But to get the diploma, it needs to mean something about basic skills. It's a bit of tough love."

Wednesday's discussion followed the Utah Board of Education's decision last week to allow all graduates to receive diplomas and leave it to individual school districts to decide how to differentiate between diplomas received by students who pass UBSCT and those who do not.

The state board chose that route because members feared awarding only certificates of completion and not diplomas to students who fail UBSCT may disqualify them from receiving college financial aid.

But legislators including Rep. Carol Moss, D-Holladay, question whether Utah's law allows school districts to award diplomas to those who fail the test.

"To institute a test and then do this to it makes the whole UBSCT pointless," she said.

Rep. Kory Holdaway, R-Taylorsville, said the the law may need to be changed to allow schools to offer different diplomas.

"Frankly, I think the statute is flawed," he said. "I think we moved backward rather than forward." State school board member Teresa Theurer said some students who can't pass the test may do well in college.

"Students that don't pass the UBSCT aren't incompetent . . . they just have a different way of expressing their competency," she said. "I don't believe the UBSCT is the total test."

Schools can't wait for the 2006 Legislature to address the issue.

Diplomas typically are ordered by December, said Patti Harrington, state schools superintendent. Lawmakers on Wednesday recommended that diplomas be printed for all students who assume they will pass UBSCT.

Then the state school board can decide in January how the diplomas should be altered for those who don't pass.

The board didn't want to tell districts what to print on their diplomas but now it may have to, Theurer said.

Brenda Hales, Jordan School District director of curriculum, said she is unsure what a diploma should say for those who do not pass UBSCT, but she is happy a discussion is under way.

"It's something we need to discuss before we put consequences on kids that we can't take back," she said.

enardi@sltrib.com