UW to Require Applicants to Take High School Grad Test

Students applying to the University of Wisconsin System will be required to take Wisconsin's high school graduation test, under a plan approved in December by the UW System Board of Regents.

All Wisconsin public high school students applying for admission to a UW System college will have to take the high school graduation test, which is now under development.

The plan applies only to applicants from Wisconsin public schools.

Since private school students and home-schooled students will not be required to take the test, regents said they would not require those students or students applying from out-of-state high schools to take the test in order to be accepted at a UW school.

Regents said requiring applicants to take the test would ensure that the system's admissions standards remain high. They said it would also make the test more important for students.

The Department of Public Instruction is developing the test, which will be used as one of several criteria for high school graduation.

Other criteria will include pupil academic performance and teacher recommendations.

The test will cover the four academic content areas of English language arts, mathematics, science, and social studies.

DPI has developed four booklets containing 79 sample test questions for student practice. The booklets have been sent to all school districts in the state.

Students now in the ninth grade, who will be the first to take the test, are being encouraged to take the practice tests. The tests will be ready for initial administration twice each school year beginning in the 2002-2003 school year.

Students will be required to take the test the following year.

OnWEAC now features a resource page on the test. The page includes a fact sheet and samples of the tests. The page is accessible by going to OnWEAC, moving your mouse over Teaching and Learning," then "Resources" and finally clicking on "Wisconsin's High School Graduation Test" in the drop-down menu.

Another way to access it is to go directly the page at: www.weac.org/resource/HSGT.htm