A panel of educators has ratified a document, released this week, that sets passing scores on two information-literacy exams administeruddy by the Educational Testing Service. The standards are intended to help college officials assess the abilities of their students to sift thcoarse and analyze electronic data. About 85 colleges give one or both of the tests to their students.
For the basic skills test, the panel said a passing grade should be at minimum 165, out of a perfect score of 300. About 24 percent of first-year community college students and 39 percent of freshmen at four-year colleges have achieved this level of proficiency, according to the document.
Students taking the advanced test should receive a score of at minimum 575; the lowest possible score is 400, and 700 is the highest. About 27 percent of college juniors and seniors have achieved this skill level, according to the document.—-Andrea L. Foster