Explanation

There are two keys to getting this question right. One is not getting sucked in by trap answers. The other is noticing that one answer challenges an assumption that the board member made, that the average of the students' scores on state-issued tests has decreased because of increased drug use.

Here's the conclusion. If by incorporating drug use awareness classes into the curriculum at Longview Prep we can reduce drug use, we can increase the averages of Longview Prep students' state-issued test scores to the levels at which they were five years ago.

(A) Students who use drugs the most will not leave Longview Prep and enroll in other schools because they prefer not to attend drug use awareness classes.

While students' leaving the school to avoid the classes may somehow seem to hinder the success of the plan, the truth is that if drug use is truly connected to lower test scores, then if the students who use drugs the most were to choose to leave Longview Prep, the averages of Longview Prep students' test scores should increase.

(B) Teachers at Longview Prep have not over the past five years updated the school's entire curriculum, making it innovative and unique.

The board member has assumed that the reason for the lower scores is increased drug use. In other words, the board member has assumed that scores have not declined because the teachers have changed what they are teaching in such a way that it does not match the state-issued tests to the degree that it had in the past. If the students are learning via the use of an innovative and unique curriculum, then likely what they are learning is somehow different in content or focus from what appears in state-issued tests, and reducing drug use would not address that issue.

(C) Longview Prep students who use drugs are not able to hide their use of drugs from teachers and administrators at Longview Prep.

This answer could trap the test taker if the test taker were to make an unfounded assumption about a need for drug use to be seen in order for the plan to work or about students caring to hide signs of drug use.

(D) Test focused review sessions would not be effective in increasing Longview Prep students' state-issued test scores.

The board member's argument does not depend on the assumption that there are not other ways to increase the scores. One way a test taker might choose this answer is by going beyond what can logically be inferred from what is discussed in the prompt.

(E) Most students who use drugs will not eventually reduce their drug use on their own, without having taken drug use awareness classes.

If the test taker is not clear about what's going on in the argument, this answer might be tempting, but the fact that students might eventually reduce drug use on their own does not somehow make drug use awareness classes less effective.