The law requires schools to give completion certificates instead of high school diplomas to students who fail high school exit exams. But such a scenario has unintended negative consequences, lawmakers determined during a Friday meeting of the Legislature's Administrative Rules Committee.

This time it's not the students who need their language cleaned up - it's the statute.

Patti Harrington, state schools superintendent, proposed that the committee accept the state board's recommendation that students who satisfy graduation requirements and take the tests multiple times, but don't pass them, receive diplomas anyway. Under the state board's plan, diplomas must state whether the tests were passed.

After considering legal advice that completion certificates or "alternative" diplomas could prevent recipients from attending college or receiving federal loans and grants for further education, committee members agreed with the state board: The law's intent was to spur students to achievement, not consign them to a future of diminished prospects.

Though the Rules Committee and the state school board agreed, there was still a problem. The Rules Committee must ensure that rules for carrying out laws agree with statutory language in those laws.

Lawmakers passed the law in question in 2000, creating the Utah Performance Assessment System for Students to make students more accountable for learning required course material. Its wording requires that students who don't pass the Utah Basic Skills Competency Test be awarded "certificates of completion" or "alternative completion diplomas" at graduation time.

"The language of the statute did not anticipate this problem, and we need to fix it," said committee chairman Sen. Howard Stephenson, R-Draper. Stephenson suggested that a bill be drafted as soon as possible.

Rep. Kory Holdaway, a Taylorsville Republican, volunteered to sponsor it. And, though graduation is nearing, there is still time to settle the problem, Harrington said.

Josten's, the company that furnishes diplomas for most Utah school districts, has already printed thousands of diplomas stating the recipients passed UBSCT - as 83 percent of high school seniors have. But Harrington said the company can wait to print diplomas for students who didn't pass the test until the Legislature has a chance to amend the law that spells out what those diplomas should say, and until students take one more crack at UBSCT next month.

cbaker@sltrib.com

What is the Utah Basic Skill Competency Test?

* The high school exit exam measures basic competency in writing, English and math as taught in grades six through 10.

* Under a law passed in 2000, the class of 2006 is the first that must pass UBSCT in order to graduate.

* The Utah state Board of Education earlier this month ruled that students who take the exam several times without passing can still receive diplomas that indicate they failed the test.

* The Legislature now must revise the 2000 law to match its language with the state school board's new diploma policy.