Recently, the school children of Coweta County took the Iowa Test of Basic Skills and the Georgia High School Graduation Tests. Hopefully, they all did well. Certainly, I hope they do better than recent results would indicate.

Several months ago, the press reported that ITBS scores remained “roughly the same.” One staff member described the results as “holding on.”

According to The Ultimate Atlanta School Guide, only one of our elementary schools made the top 50 metro Atlanta schools for third grade, none for fifth grade and none of our middle schools for eighth grade.

In our high schools, SAT results were down from 992.5 in 1997 to 962 in 1999. Neither of our two high schools taking the test that year scored in the top 50 in any category.

What is cause for more concern is the discrepancy between black and white students. Using Newnan High School's most recent report card, one finds the following: The percentage of white students passing the writing portion of the graduation test is over 5 percent higher than the percentage of black students; 12 percent higher in math; 14 percent higher in English; 25 percent higher in social studies, and 38 percent in science. We cannot improve if we leave a third of our students behind.

Should everything be judged by test scores? No, but they do provide a standard, objective tool for evaluating academic progress.

We can correct this problem.

In the short run, we can add more remedial courses. In the long term, we can approve a drastic increase in pre-kindergarten starting with 3-year-olds.

This program would benefit all students regardless of race. This will not solve all our problems, but it will be a major step forward. I suggested this solution to the board of education in September.

After I brought up the subject again earlier this month, board members stated that they have discussed this proposal in private and are considering a pilot program. I hope the board pursues a pilot program and that participation is offered on a fair basis at a centrally located site.

Peter Skrmetti

Newnan

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