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California Exit Exam Preparation News: More Headlines
Date: 4/23/07 | Source: The Modesto Bee
State schools Superintendent Jack O'Connell reported some good news last week about the state's high school exit
exam.
First, the percentage of students in the Class of 2007 who already have passed the test is higher than it was at
this point last year for the class of 2006. More students in every subgroup, including minorities, poor children
and students for whom English is a second language, are passing. In all, 91.4 percent of California seniors already
have cleared the hurdle and are poised to claim their diplomas in June.
Second, and more significantly, about half of the students in the Class of 2006 who had not passed the test by
graduation time last year have returned to school to try to learn the math and language skills needed to succeed
so that they can earn a diploma.
According to an independent study, about 17,000 students, or about 45 percent of those who failed the exam, have
returned to school even though they have completed their senior years. About 85 percent of those are back in high
school, while about 15 percent are attending adult school.
Critics feared a high school exit exam would discourage struggling students and lead to more dropouts. These numbers
suggest the critics might have had it backward. At least for this group of students, the test appears to have
motivated them to stay in school longer. One wonders what they would be doing had the schools simply handed them
diplomas last spring even though they had not yet demonstrated a basic understanding of the math and language
skills necessary to go to college or function in the work world.
This latest evidence shows the exit exam probably means more to students from disadvantaged backgrounds who have
too rarely been challenged to fulfill their potential. Under the glare of a statewide spotlight that only a
standardized score can provide, the schools have rushed to provide extra tutoring, counseling and classes for
students at risk of failing.
Yes, schools should have been doing this all along. Now they are. And that's why the exit exam is a success, no
matter what the education establishment says.
Date: 10/31/06 | Source: California Department of Education
CAHSEE result reports available by school, district, county and state at http://cahsee.cde.ca.gov/reports.asp
Date: 10/5/06 | Source: KESQ NewsChannel 3
A state appeals court has rejected a second lawsuit challenging California's high school exit exam.
The court disagreed that the state failed to consider alternatives to the mandatory test in a timely manner.
The three judges said the state law passed in 1999 had no timetable for studying alternatives.
A group called Californians for Justice Education Fund argued that the state didn't consider alternatives soon enough.
They say it took them six years to hold a public hearing.
The same court already rejected a lawsuit from a group of students who said the math and English test was discriminatory.
The Class of 2006 was the first required to pass the exam.
Date: 9/24/06 | Source: Daily Nexus Online
Every year, several seniors awaiting their high school diploma must devote three hours of their summer to prove
minimal competence in math and language. However, in light of California’s abominable education system conditions
and the shortage of innovators in the state’s workforce, I would argue that three hours is far too little and that
the task at hand is far too easy.
Nevertheless, the California High School Exit Exam enhances a student’s ability to survive in the real world.
Without the exam, deficient students are granted their diploma and the dangerous misconception that their 12+ years
in school has instilled in them the necessary qualities and abilities to succeed.
Yet, the self-esteem oriented California public school system continually threatens to impose further degeneration
of these students. Earlier this year, the school system challenged the exit exam in court in an attempt to lower
standards and emphasize educational equality - as opposed to actually achieving it. However, making the test easier
just allows students to leave high school ill-prepared.
Indeed, the most recent report released from Achieve, Inc., a nonprofit, nonpartisan group that aims at helping
states ensure young people’s successful transition to adulthood, finds that both college professors and employers
notice a widening ability gap in the skills required of the recent grads and capabilities.
Large percentages of students, employers and college instructors agree that students need more challenging
coursework in high school, translating into widespread support for raising standards. All three groups, students,
college instructors, and employers, not only favored tightening high school standards, but they also supported
requiring that students pass exit exams to graduate. Eighty-one percent of graduates endorsed the idea, as did 79
percent of instructors and 89 percent of employers.
Admittedly, the High School Exit Exam is not without its problems. It is argued that it may be unfair to hold the
students accountable for the failures of the education system. This may be true, but then who can be held
accountable? This test represents an important first link on the chain of universal accountability throughout
California’s K-12 public education system - the teachers must feel accountable to produce students with higher
rates of achievement. The school boards must feel accountable to provide teachers with the appropriate tools to
accomplish this, and so on.
The exit exam, although a three-hour inconvenience for some, must be the first step to raising standards and thus
student achievement. Merit-based teacher salaries could be implemented to reward those teachers who produce
significant increases in student passage rates. Inducements could be structured to entice high-performing teachers
to teach in those districts in schools that have shown poor CASHEE passage rates.
With greater support from the community, CASHEE’s successful and continued implementation has the potential to
reform the K-12 public system from graduation backward and restore California’s place as a national leader in
education. Without CASHEE, students may not realize their own ineptitude until later in life, and this kind of
failure can be more severe than a poor test score for an exam that can be simply retaken.
Daily Nexus columnist Courtney Stevens believes CASHEE was especially necessary for the high school class of 2006
whose SAT scores were the lowest in 30 years.
Date: 8/12/06 | Source: Bay City News
A state appeals court in San Francisco Friday upheld the use of California's high school exit exam as a graduation requirement.
A three-judge panel of the Court of Appeal unanimously overturned a preliminary injunction by Alameda County Superior Court Judge Robert Freedman that would have suspended the use of the exam.
The appeals court ruling has the effect of keeping the exam in place because the injunction never went into effect.
Freedman, ruling in a civil rights lawsuit filed by students from Richmond and Newark, issued the injunction in May, but the California Supreme Court stayed the order during the state's appeal.
The appeals court said in a 35-page opinion that the plaintiffs had good evidence for their claim that some California students are not given equal access to an adequate education.
But the court said an injunction against the exam was too broad a remedy.
Justice Ignazio Ruvolo wrote, "We see a distinction, where the trial court did not, between an equal protection claim based on the fundamental right to an education, and an equal protection claim based on the asserted fundamental right to a high school diploma."
The court said it would be a "bitter hoax" to give students diplomas if they hadn't acquired the basic math and English skills required by the exam.
The court urged both sides in the case to work together to make sure that students receive the academic assistance needed to pass the exam.
Date: 8/4/06 | Source: Moorpark Acorn
State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell recently announced the results of the California High School Exit Exam.
Results show that an estimated 90.8 percent of graduating seniors have passed both the English-language arts and the mathematics portions of the exam, including an additional 1,759 students who passed the May administration of the exam.
"While I will not be satisfied until all California students are successful in gaining the skills measured by the exit exam, I am pleased that the achievement gap is narrowing," O'Connell said. "It is clear that all students are working hard to gain the critical skills necessary for a diploma and for survival in today's global economy. I credit the exit exam for focusing both students and schools on meeting this challenge. We need to sustain this effort until the achievement gap is erased completely."
Eighty-five percent of Hispanic graduating seniors have passed the test, with 19.7 percent passing during the junior year and nearly 11 percent passing in their senior year.
By comparison, 11.5 percent of white students passed as juniors and 4.1 percent of white students passed as seniors. 83 percent of African American students have passed the test, with 20.6 percent passing as juniors and 12 percent passing as seniors.
The percentage of English language learners passing the test has increased by 24.3 percent during the junior year and nearly 17 points during the senior year, for a total of 76.6 percent passing the exam. Economically disadvantaged graduating students have also shown progress, with 20.1 percent passing during the junior year and 10.8 percent passing the test as seniors, for an 85.7 percent total passing rate.
An estimated 40,173 seniors, about 9 percent, have not yet passed the test.
"I urge these students to continue to work in summer school, take a fifth year of high school, or study in adult school or community college to acquire those important skills in English and math," O'Connell said. "This exam benefits students who are still struggling by focusing them on areas they need to strengthen so they can have more successful futures."
Students who have not yet passed one or both portions of the exit exam can continue to take the test until they pass. O'Connell sponsored extra funding in the budget for intensive remediation programs, independent study programs and adult school programs for students still struggling to pass the exam.
"I am proud of our students, particularly those who struggle to pass but keep studying until they do. And I am proud of our schools for doing what it takes to help every student succeed," O'Connell said.
Date: 7/17/06 | Source: Napa Valley Register
Last school year, the state of California required all high school seniors to pass an exit exam in order to receive
their diplomas.
As graduation day neared, the mandate left more than 100 Napa Valley Unified School District students in limbo.
These students had not passed the test on their first try, and would be taking it in May. But the results would not
come back for weeks and weeks, meaning they wouldn't learn their academic fates until will after the caps and gowns
were just memories for their schoolmates.
In the coming weeks, the test results will be released for those last seniors. If their performance is consistent
with the rest of the seniors in the district, nine out of ten will receive diplomas in the mail.
Now, the district is focusing on next year's exam-takers.
This summer, the district is offering a special course designed for entering juniors and seniors. To the district's
surprise, younger students are the ones signing up for the class.
"I was expecting to have older students ... but it is good to see younger students wanting to get it done," Scott
Merkner, teacher of the class, said.
The class, being held at Vintage High School, has 10 sophomores, four juniors and two seniors.
For the sophomores, March will be the first opportunity to take the test, as underclassmen are given more than one
chance to pass.
Before a recent session, 15-year-old Natalie Covarrubias was intimidated by the thought of the exam. After taking
the one-month long course, she's confident in her ability to pass the exam.
"I thought the exam would have hard problems, (but after reviewing) I realized I knew more than I thought I did,"
she said, as she helped explain a math problem to her friend.
The course is math-focused, and helps students by using strategy-based teaching, so students can understand the
nature of the test. There wasn't an English review offering this year because only two students signed up. Those
students are receiving individual help from Merkner.
"They feel a lot more confident after the strategy class," Laura Ryan, administrator of intervention and assessment,
said. "They have an approach as opposed to being overwhelmed."
Fernando Borrayo, 15, a sophomore a Napa High, saw the benefits in taking the review course and opted to take it
instead of another elective.
"I thought it was a good idea to review for the exit exam," he said. "I want to be prepared and review."
The biggest challenge for students was learning the material in just 20 days of class. But, to help them after the
class, students are allowed to keep their thick review books.
Date: 6/2/06 | Source: San Diego Union-Tribune
The recent state Supreme Court decision to reinstate the California High School Exit Exam as a requirement for
graduation was very good news for students, teachers, parents and schools.
The exit exam has been responsible for significant improvements in our schools, targeted specifically at our
neediest students. The high court's ruling temporarily sets aside the recent Alameda County Superior Court decision
that would have once again delayed enforcement of the exit exam.
The flurry of 11th-hour court action should not obscure the fact that the California High School Exit Exam has
helped our neediest students as much if not more than any public school reform in the last 30 years. Because of the
exit exam, more individual attention and more resources have been devoted to struggling students than ever before.
And they are working.
In San Diego County, about 95 percent of our high school class of 2006 has now passed both portions of the exit
exam. It didn't just happen. When our current senior class began taking the exam as 10th-graders, only about 70
percent passed the English portion, and a dismal 48 percent passed the math.
In addition to those results for all students in the 2006 class, when we looked closer at the results by ethnic
group, we saw what's now widely known as the achievement gap – the difference in school achievement among students
of different ethnic groups.
On the math portion of the exit exam in 2003, the gap between pass-rates of white and Asian students on one hand,
and Latino and African-Americans on the other, was a shocking 37 points. That was clearly intolerable, and in a
countywide effort unprecedented in our state, local school leaders agreed to a common set of tactics to reduce the
gap.
That agreement, the California High School Exit Exam Compact, resulted in the training of hundreds of teachers and
administrators and the production of powerful curriculum and instruction guides that are now in use throughout the
state.
And with subsequent administrations of the exit exam, that 37-point gap shrunk to 25 points the following year, to
14 points last year, and now to 12. Those improvements would never have occurred without the exit exam's stark
portrait of the achievement gap.
Which only serves to underscore the irony of the Alameda County Superior Court judge's decision that was set aside
by the Supreme Court. In issuing his injunction, Judge Robert Freedman agreed with plaintiffs' claims that minority
and underprivileged students did not have an equal chance to pass the exit exam because they often attended
low-performing schools.
The decision ignored the undeniable benefits the exit exam had generated for the very students the judge thought
he was helping. To put it another way, sending students off into the working world when they're unable to pass a
test that is pegged at the eighth-grade level is certainly not doing those students a favor. Particularly not
when the help offered to those students in their high schools is greater than ever.
State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell, with whom I have worked closely in our efforts to
implement the exam and help students pass it, feels as I do about the Supreme Court's action.
“I am extremely pleased that the Supreme Court has reinstated the California High School Exit Exam as a condition
for graduation,” O'Connell said. “As a result, school districts can continue their graduation exercises as planned
before this litigation began.” The Supreme Court action sends the case to the 1st District Court of Appeal, where
proponents of the exit exam will have the chance to argue its merits. They are considerable, and it is important
for parents, taxpayers and other community leaders to know about them.
The exit exam is an important part of our state's public school accountability program. It means that a diploma
awarded in San Ysidro means the same as one awarded in Encinitas or Oceanside.
On a more personal level, the Supreme Court action returns important credibility to our teachers and school
administrators, who have spent months, and in some cases years, exhorting students to work hard to pass the
high-stakes exam. The Alameda decision had made them look like masters of the empty threat, for using the exit
exam to extract so much work so students would earn diplomas. For anyone who has ever worked with teenagers,
particularly those who struggle in school, that kind of loss in credibility can be devastating.
The California High School Exit Exam is not perfect. But it gives us accountability, and shines a powerful light
on our students who need the most help. It has led to more help for those students than anything that has come
before it.
The state Supreme Court has struck a blow for the good, for the benefit of students, teachers and schools. Let
us all hope the decision stands on appeal, and the California High School Exit Exam continues to fuel improvements
in the education of our neediest students.
Date: 6/6/06 | Source: SFGate.com
The California Supreme Court has decided that the California high-school exit exam is a requirement for receiving
a diploma for the class of 2006. This is the right decision for California. We must make sure that students receive
a high-school diploma that means something and that public-school districts and educators are accountable to our
students and parents.
The test is an important benchmark in ensuring that students will be successful in meeting the challenges they will
face either in college or the workplace. If they are not able to meet the standards of the exam, how can we, as
parents and educators, expect them to be successful in college or the workplace? We need to make sure that they
are adequately prepared for the world beyond high school.
Indeed, the skill sets that are needed to be successful in pursuits beyond high school should be mastered by the
time a student reaches the 12th grade. This exam tests our students in two areas: math and English language arts.
While the test is required to graduate the 12th grade, the questions are at a 10th-grade level. To pass the math
portion, only 55 percent of the questions need to be answered correctly and only 66 percent of the English language
arts questions. The students get six opportunities to pass the exam.
The latest test results from March 2006 show that an additional 4,542 students have met the requirements of the
exam since the last testing, increasing the passage rate to 90.4 percent. Yet, an estimated 41,758 California
students have not yet fulfilled the exit-exam requirement of receiving passing scores as well as completing each
school district's specific requisites. We realize that there are students who are still struggling with these
skills and that a disproportionate number of these students are African American and Latino. For the sake of these
students, we have to find a solution.
Holding all students to high expectations, however, is the most progressive posture we can take toward educating
our diverse student population. High schools will only improve when students are given the necessary tools and are
expected to perform at a level that makes their diploma a meaningful expression of their academic abilities.
Indeed, to expect anything less, and to lower the bar for a high-school diploma, would be a disservice to the
very students who are struggling in our public schools. These students need more rigor, not less.
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has allocated $65 million in Proposition 98 funding for summer school, remedial
courses and an exit-exam supplemental instruction program for pupils who have failed the exam or who are at
risk of failing. The governor is also supporting setting aside more than $500 million in next year's state
budget for comprehensive after-school programs, where students can get additional academic help.
We applaud all of these efforts to help our students by providing them every opportunity to master the basic
skills tested in the California high school exit exam. We owe our students nothing less.
Date: 5/24/06 | Source: TheState.com
The California Supreme Court on Wednesday reinstated the state's high school exit exam as a graduation requirement
for this year's senior class, leaving 47,000 high school students who failed the test in danger of not graduating.
The high court ordered a state appeals court to hold hearings in the case, but with schools ready to hold
commencement ceremonies as soon as this weekend, a resolution appeared unlikely before then.
This year's class was the first in which passing the test of 10th-grade English and eighth-grade math and algebra
was required for graduation.
A group of students sued the state, claiming the test discriminates against low-income and minority students. On
May 12, Alameda Superior Court Judge Robert Freedman invalidated the graduation requirement for 2006 graduates,
finding that it discriminates against poor students and those who are learning English.
The high court stayed that ruling and ordered the 1st District Court of Appeal to hear the case, but did not say
when - leaving students who failed the test in legal limbo.
State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell said he quickly notified school districts that the
graduation requirement was back in effect.
"In my opinion this brings certainty to the Class of 2006, to those parents, to those in the education community,"
he said.
But the lead attorney for the plaintiffs said O'Connell was claiming victory prematurely.
"We intend to seek immediate relief in the court of appeals in San Francisco," attorney Arturo Gonzalez said.
"We are hopeful that oral arguments can be scheduled in time to obtain an order that would allow the Class of 2006
to graduate."
After Freedman threw out the graduation requirement for this year's seniors, O'Connell immediately appealed to the
Supreme Court, demanding that the decision be promptly reversed ahead of looming commencement ceremonies.
The high court rarely decides a case before an appeals court hears it, but the justices said they were not convinced
that Freedman ruled correctly.
"At this juncture this court is not persuaded that the relief granted by the trial court's preliminary
injunction ... would be an appropriate remedy," five of the seven justices wrote.
Lawyers for the state wrote in their appeal that Freedman's decision was an illegal intrusion into the lawmaking
branch of state government. O'Connell wanted the decision overturned to "further society's interest in ensuring
that students demonstrate minimal academic proficiency in order to receive a high school diploma."
O'Connell said students who fail the test can still get further remedial instruction and take the test again.
Gonzalez told the justices in a filing that the students should not be punished for the education system's
shortcomings.
"As of the start of the current academic year, fewer than half of California high schools had taught all of the
course material that is tested on the exam," Gonzalez wrote.
Date: 4/27/06 | Source: San Francisco Chronicle
A vast majority of Californians support not only the state's controversial high school
exit exam but also the idea of requiring all students to pass a test before advancing
to the next grade level, a new poll shows.
Although no such idea is in the works at the moment, 72 percent of Californians surveyed
by the Public Policy Institute of California said they would support such a test for all
12 grades. The idea has received strong support in national surveys, inspiring the
pollster to ask the question locally.
Even more Californians, 73 percent, favor the exit exam that students must pass for the
first time this spring in order to graduate from high school, according to the survey,
which is being released today.
"People aren't completely sold on the idea that testing is perfect, but tests give a
sense that students are learning in school," said Mark Baldassare, research director of
the Public Policy Institute. "If someone sent out a notice that students were doing
great, that wouldn't be enough for people today. They need something tangible, and
they've gravitated to testing."
The poll is being published at a time of protests and lawsuits over the withholding of
diplomas this spring from thousands of high school seniors who have not passed the exit
exam, which tests proficiency in math and English.
The survey asked 2,501 state residents a wide range of questions about their views of
public education. It has a 2 percent margin of error.
The results show that more than half of residents from a variety of ethnic and income
backgrounds take a dim view of public education in the state -- except when it comes to
their own local schools. Eight in 10 residents surveyed give their local schools a
passing grade, the poll found.
In addition, a majority of survey respondents oppose raising the sales tax or their own
property taxes to provide more funding for education. But 64 percent are willing to
raise the income tax of "the wealthiest Californians," a term not defined in the
questionnaire. The exceptions were Republicans, most of whom opposed all three tax
options.
Education in California is playing a central role in the race for governor and in state
budget negotiations. According to the poll, 71 percent of Democrats view the
gubernatorial candidates' positions on education as "very important," and 50 percent of
Republicans agreed.
The first diplomas will be withheld this spring from students who have not passed the
exit exam. Although the vast majority of students (roughly 9 out of 10) have passed the
test, low-income students and those who speak little English make up most of those who
haven't.
Attorney Arturo Gonzalez, one of several lawyers trying to persuade the state courts to
block the exam's looming consequences, said he believes the poll results show that most
Californians "don't understand the issues" when it comes to the exit exam.
"Ask the same people if they think it's fair to deprive students of a diploma if they
passed all their classes but were not taught the material on the exit exam," Gonzalez
said. "And ask, 'Do you think it's fair to deprive a student of a diploma if they were
taught math and English by teachers who were not credentialed to teach math and English?' I think you'd get totally different answers. I think it'd be 70 percent the other way."
State records show that in 2004, the most recent year of data, 1 in 4 math and English
classes did not have a qualified teacher under the requirements of the federal No Child
Left Behind Education Act. (Private schools do not require teachers to be credentialed
or to pass the exit exam.)
Californians -- especially Democrats -- believe schools should do more to help students
pass the exit exam, a test of basic math, English and algebra skills, the survey showed.
Students have six chances to pass the test, beginning in 10th grade. In all, 80 percent
of Democrats and 60 percent of Republicans favor requiring schools to provide small
English and math classes taught by fully credentialed teachers for students who
initially fail the test, the survey showed.
Meanwhile, Bay Area residents were least supportive of the high-stakes tests compared to
other regions of the state. Nevertheless, Bay Area support was still strong at 66
percent for a promotion test, and 68 percent for the exit exam, the survey found.
"The graduation test is a minimal competency test," said Melanie Chadwick of Union City,
one of those surveyed. "These are the basic skills children should have to enter into
adult life. It's a shame if any of the children don't pass that test."
Chadwick works in the accounting department of Cal State East Bay and is the mother of
four school-age children, ages 6 to 14, in the New Haven Unified School District. She
is expecting a fifth child, and said that all students should be required to pass a
promotion test to prove they are performing at grade level.
Chadwick called it a disservice to promote students who couldn't pass it. In those
cases, she said, "students do need to be held back."
Other key findings of the survey:
-- 64 percent favor raising the income tax of the "wealthiest Californians."
-- 60 percent say schools are doing a poor job of preparing students for work.
-- 53 percent say schools are doing a poor job of preparing students for college.
-- 44 percent say schools are doing a poor job of teaching students to read, write and do math.
-- 55 percent gave their own local schools a grade of "A" or "B," while 80 percent gave at least a "C."
The full survey can be found at www.ppic.org.
Date: 4/5/06 | Source: California Department of Education
Funding Name: Adult Basic Education, ESL, English Literacy and Civics Education
Eligible Applicants: institutions of higher education, local educational agencies, nonprofit organizations, other organizations or agencies
Required Eligibility Criteria: Only existing grantees funded in 2005-06 are eligible to submit applications for funding.
Funding Description: The federal Workforce Investment Act (WIA) Title II: Adult Education and Family Literacy Act provides supplemental funds for adult basic education, high school subjects, English as a second language (ESL), citizenship, and English Literacy and Civics Education (EL Civics), thereby enabling adults to become employable, productive, and responsible citizens, workers, and family members.
Funding Profile: http://www.cde.ca.gov/fg/fo/profile.asp?id=732
One in Five Seniors Hasn't Passed High School Exit Exam
It's getting down to the wire for hundreds of local high school seniors who have yet to pass
the California High School Exit Exam in order to graduate. School districts are now trying to
determine how they will handle those who don't pass the test.
The Sacramento City Unified School District has 492 seniors who have not passed the required
exam in order to receive a diploma. This is the first year the CAHSEE has been implemented
and now that it's crunch time, students are scrambling to fulfill the requirement.
The district's Hiram Johnson High School has teacher Tim Carter conducting afterschool
session to help those struggling students pass the math portion of the exam. He said with
some effort on the part of students, they can do the work. "If the kids show up they do
fairly well," Carter said. "We get about two-thirds who show up, pass. Those kids that don't
show up, I can't help."
Senior Esteban Valenzuela admits the pressure to pass the test is stressful. "It's just hard
because you have to pass it, and you're thinking about it and you don't want to mess up," he
said.
Students can take start taking the CAHSEE in 10th grade and can take it repeatedly until they
pass. If they successfully complete one part but not the other, they have to only retake the
failed element.
Hiram Johnson High School is offering 18 preparation classes and Saturday sessions to help
their students.
Despite the efforts to help students, school districts know some seniors will not earn
passing marks on the exam. What to do with those students is under debate. SCUSD is
considering having them return for a fifth year of high school, during which they'll be
given extra help so they can pass the CAHSEE.
Some districts are considering offering certificates of completion for those students who
complete other graduation requirements but can't pass the exit exam. Hiram Johnson Assistant
Principal Michael Crosby said he doesn't expect his district to offer an alternative diploma.
"Unfortunately from what we understand, there will be no certificate of completion if they
haven't met the requirement as outlined by the state," he said.
The state Department of Education reports about 20 percent of high school seniors have yet
to pass the exit exam. In Sacramento County, the San Juan Unified School District says
185 seniors have not passed the test. Like other districts, the SJUSD offers preparation
classes to help struggling students.
Other area school districts that have numbers on seniors who haven't passed the CAHSEE
include the Washington Unified School District in West Sacramento with 50 students,
Vacaville Unified with 40 to 50 students, and Lodi Unified with 150 students.
A high school diploma is required for many jobs, entrance into the military, and is a key
part of the qualifications for acceptance at most four-year colleges and universities.
Students applying to a California community colleges do not have to have a high school
diploma.
One option for some students is to pass the General Educational Development, or GED, test.
The requirements to pass that exam are less stringent than what is required for a high
school diploma from a California public high school.
Paradise Post Editorial Board: It s time for a pass or fail
Our hats are off to Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell. Finally, it would
appear, after five long years of delay, California will have a high school exit exam that
really matters. It's about time.
A law was passed way back in 1999 to implement a statewide exit exam for graduating seniors.
And each year, high school juniors took the exam, only to be told it wouldn't yet count. In
the meantime, opponents of the exam have successfully fought off implementation. It's time we
fish or cut bait.
The primary opposition to a standard exit exam comes from advocates for special education
students and students for whom English is a second language. Bowing to political pressure,
O'Connell was prepared to provide yet another year's waiver. But when lawmakers altered the
terms of the settlement, expanding the waiver to two years, O'Connell withdrew his support
and the governor vetoed the exemption bill. Good for them.
First of all, there is a serious need for a standardized exit exam. California is one of 25
states to recognize this. We've all heard horror stories of high school graduates who are
basically illiterate. "Social graduation," designed to protect underperforming students'
self-esteem, has only resulted in devaluing high school diplomas for everyone.
It used to be that having a high school degree meant something. One could actually expect to
land a decent job with a high school diploma. But that's not the case today. This is not
simply a problem of "educational inflation." It's largely because employers recognize that
today's high school students don't necessarily have the skills that are needed in the
workplace, even if their piece of paper says they do.
Let's face it: Not all students are capable of achieving the standards of excellence that
should be implicit with graduation. That doesn't mean they should be thrown to the dogs. We
need more vocational options for those who are not academically inclined or who lack the
language or other skills to succeed in the traditional world of the three R's. The idea of
leaving no child behind is a good one, but not all can or should end up in the same place.
Pretending that all our students are above average, as in Garrison Keillor's mythical Lake
Wobegon, is just plain silly.
Nor does this mean that such students should undergo the embarrassment of being left out of
graduation ceremonies. There is no reason those who fail the exit exam can't still be
included in commencement. Instead of high school diplomas, they could be awarded
certificates of completion. No one need know who got what.
Not getting a high school diploma is a serious matter, but getting one that means little or
nothing is far more serious. Besides, not graduating from high school is hardly the end of
the world. There are several options for those who cannot pass the test: They can continue
in high school indefinitely, they can attempt to earn a general equivalency degree, and
once they reach the age of 18, late bloomers can even enroll at the local community college
with or without a high school diploma.
We're tired of excuses. We're tired of politicians who would rather lower the bar for
everyone than raise it to the point that a California high school diploma actually means
something. Let the testing begin, and let the chips fall as they may.
Sacramento Bee: "The right message for high school seniors"
Six months from graduation day, students in California's high school Class of 2006 finally
know for certain what it takes to graduate.
Students in the Class of 2006 and beyond must pass an exit exam in reading and math to get a
diploma.
State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell announced Friday that he will not
support any "alternative assessments" as a substitute for passing the exam. Instead, he will
work to expand continuing education options for students who do not pass the exam but
otherwise are on track to graduate.
This is the right stance. The state does a serious disservice by giving diplomas to students
who don't have basic reading and writing skills.
O'Connell looked at "alternative assessments" across the nation and found that none
guarantees knowledge of the reading and math skills tested in the exit exam. They also
undermine the idea of a uniform high school diploma.
Certainly, California has to deal with students who have special issues, such as English
learners and special-education students. For example, a student who arrives in California
schools in 10th grade not speaking English may need extra time. The same is true for
special-education students, particularly those already successfully spending 80 percent of
their time in regular instruction.
As O'Connell puts it, "It simply means that their basic education is not complete and they
must continue on through our K-12 system, adult education or community colleges to obtain
the necessary skills to warrant receipt of a diploma."
O'Connell will present a package of continuing education options to the Legislature. The
Class of 2006 - and legislators - should hear O'Connell's words loud and clear: "We will
not turn our backs on you," but we will hold you to high standards.
Don't be fooled for a moment. Just because California Superintendent of Public Instruction
Jack O'Connell has declared that a high school exit exam will finally become mandatory
doesn't mean it's imminent.
Anti-test activists and their attorneys representing the disabled, certain ethnic groups that
perform poorly in the classroom and immigrant children who are not fluent in English are
gearing up for a battle that almost certainly will wind up in the courts.
So what else is new? The Golden State has been losing the struggle to impose more stringent
academic requirements on our public schools for decades.
Ordering a test designed to bring even a modicum of reason and reality to a system that
has allowed graduation standards to erode significantly is seen as heresy in certain
outspoken quarters.
We shouldn't be surprised. After all, this is a state where grade inflation has become
routine.
Combine that with unrelenting pressure to remove traditional standardized tools like the
SAT from the college entrance equation and you can easily see why, lo and behold, the state
college system is awash with freshmen who require remedial English and bonehead math at
stunning rates.
Not that O'Connell's high school exit exam would remotely resemble a challenge for even an
average student. The test is geared to measure only the most rudimentary skill levels.
According to Jeanie Kwong, director of Assessment and Professional Development for the San
Mateo Union High School District, questions on the mathematics portion of the state exam are
actually at the eighth-grade level. For English, they are based on tenth-grade skills.
That's how watered-down the state's effort has become. Sadly, it mirrors the steady decline
of the curriculum at too many of our public high schools since the late 1960s.
And it brings up a key question: If high school seniors can't do eighth-grade or 10th-grade
work, what does a diploma mean anyway?
Fortunately, districts like Kwong's have more stringent graduation requirements.
Oh, and there is one more aspect of all this that ought to be examined too: What about
graduation standards for elementary schools? If students can't handle something as basic as
eighth-grade math when they are 18, what were they learning — or not learning — way back in
middle school?
Maybe that ought to be next on the state's academic agenda.
Schools chief firm: Exit exam required
California must not back down from requiring high school seniors to pass the state's controversial exit exam before
they can receive a diploma, even though tens of thousands may fail to graduate this year, the state's schools chief
said Friday.
Declaring the high school diploma ``no longer a certificate of seat time'' spent in class, Jack O'Connell said in a
conference call with reporters that he will not bend to public pressure to provide students alternative ways to earn
a diploma.
Any change in students' fate would require legislative or legal action.
Failing that, students must prove they have the basic knowledge to compete in today's economy, he said, and the only
way to ensure that is to have all students pass the exit exam.
O'Connell pledged to drum up additional funds to help students pass the exam during summer or in community college.
``We believe in you, and we won't leave you behind,'' he said of the seniors who still must pass the test after
several failed attempts. When the school year began, about one out of five new seniors had yet to pass the two-day
test of basic math and English, one survey found.
Business groups support O'Connell's stand, but groups representing students who traditionally struggle with tests --
including the poor and English-learners -- sharply criticize the exam's all-or-nothing stakes. Some are rumored to
be in the early stages of preparing lawsuits to ensure students who fail the exam still get diplomas.
But after weeks of review, O'Connell said he concluded there is no practical alternative to the exam.
This year's seniors are the first to face the prospect of leaving school without diplomas for failing the test. The
class of 2004 was supposed to be first, but high failure rates led the state Legislature to postpone the
consequences.
O'Connell's position sets the stage for weeks of lobbying in the state Legislature for more money to help students
who struggle with the test.
Meanwhile, in districts throughout Silicon Valley and the state, discussion continues on how to handle students who
have met all graduation requirements except passing the exit exam. A few, like Milpitas Unified, have already
determined these students will not walk with their class on graduation day. Some districts are considering offering
a ``certificate of completion'' instead of a diploma to those students who fail.
Superintendents from districts across Santa Clara County are planning to meet Feb. 7 to discuss the exam, said Joe
Fimiani, assistant superintendent for student services at the county Office of Education.
Students have several chances to pass the two-part test beginning in 10th grade. O'Connell said he would work to
extend the number of opportunities students have to take the test after completing 12th grade, including summer and
Saturday administrations.
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger praised O'Connell's decision not to ``lower our standards or expectations.'' His budget,
to be released next week, will include another $20 million in funding for tutorials and other programs to help
students pass the exam.
Schwarzenegger proposes $4 billion K-12 funding boost
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger announced today that his state budget proposal will include boosting K-12 education
funding by $4 billion.
``Nothing is more important than education because how we prepare our children today will shape the California of
tomorrow,'' Schwarzenegger said. ``That is why I am very happy to announce that my education budget for the coming
year will increase our investment in our children by $4 billion, the largest increase in our entire state budget
ever, bringing total education spending to nearly $11,000 per student.''
Schwarzenegger will release his complete 2006-07 budget on Jan. 10. The governor's news release made no mention of
exactly where the $4 billion will come from. The governor has come under fire for not fully meeting the obligations
of Proposition 98, which sets a minimum funding level for public schools.
Schwarzenegger's team also unveiled some specific education-funding proposals. They include:
The governor also affirmed today his commitment to buy back the recent tuition increase approved by the
University of California and the California State University systems, keeping student fees in both systems and at
California community colleges at their current 2005-06 levels.
Legislature and School Districts Must Offer Better Teacher Incentives
In the past five years, California school districts have made substantial progress in putting adequately trained
teachers in the classroom. They were persuaded to work on the problem by federal law and a state lawsuit by poor,
urban districts.
But inequities remain, and a teacher shortage is coming, as a student population boomlet heads toward high school,
and a wave of middle-aged teachers ponders retirement. Poor, urban schools will be hit with the most vacancies, just
as they have borne the brunt of novice teachers.
Fairness and possible federal sanctions demand that the state act with urgency to better train teachers and add
incentives for teachers who specialize in core subjects like math and science.
The good news is that since 2000, the state has cut the number of teachers without credentials in half, to 20,000,
according to a new report by the Center for the Future of Teaching and Learning at the University California-Santa
Cruz. The pressure is coming from the No Child Left Behind Act, which requires a "highly qualified" teacher in
every classroom in low-income districts by September. Many are working on credentials as they teach, through
internships (which is acceptable under No Child Left Behind). But about 10,000 were hired under emergency permits.
Most novice teachers are concentrated in low-income, low-performing school districts. In 500 schools, they make up
more than one-fifth of the teachers. Because of union rules or tradition, principals often assign them the hardest
students and give many different courses to teach. It's a cruel rite of passage, at children's expense.
A related issue is the large number of high school teachers with credentials who are teaching out of their areas of
expertise. At a time when students are under the gun to pass the high school exit exam in core subjects, one-fifth
of physical-science teachers, one-eighth of math teachers and one-seventh of English teachers lack credentials in
those subjects. Most are bunched in poor schools.
The problem will only worsen. About 50,000 teachers -- a sixth of the teaching force in California -- are over 55
and will begin to retire. In the Bay Area, they'll be replaced by young teachers who can't afford to buy a home
here -- and will move on after getting a couple of years' experience.
Paying teachers more is an obvious way to draw more people into the profession. The report -- "The Status of the
Teaching Profession 2005" -- also recommends focused, immediate steps the Legislature and districts can take to deal
with the equity issue:
Incentives to entice teachers to low-performing schools were the first programs that the governor and Legislature
cut when state revenues shrank several years ago; they should be among the first to be restored if projections for
more state revenue hold true.
Exit Exams Don't Increase Dropouts, Study Finds
Critics of high-stakes testing have argued that public high school exit exams cause many students, particularly
minority-group members, to drop out in frustration without gaining a diploma that would be valuable to them in the
job market.
However, a new study by Manhattan Institute scholars finds the exit exams administered by 24 states have had no net
effect on graduation rates.
"Our findings should provide optimism to those who wish to use exit exams to provide quality control for high school
diplomas," concluded scholars Jay P. Greene and Marcus A. Winters. "The results of our analysis show that exit
exams may allow states to distribute more meaningful diplomas to the same percentage of students as before."
Greene and Winters used two respected methods of calculating graduation rates for each state from 1991 to 2001. In
addition to finding required graduation testing had no impact, their analysis indicated neither class-size
reduction in secondary schools nor increased per-pupil spending result in higher graduation rates.
The scholars acknowledged many news media stories about individual students who completed their class work but
were denied a diploma because they couldn't pass a state test. However, they noted many factors contribute to the
tests having essentially zero effect on graduation rates.
One factor is that such tests typically require very low levels of proficiency. A 2004 Fordham Foundation study of
30 states' accountability systems rated as "poor" the rigor of state-required standardized tests. In addition,
states give students extra instruction and multiple chances to clear this low hurdle before actually denying them
diplomas.
"Most students who are serious about graduating high school should be able to pass such an exam if given enough
tries, even if only by chance," the researchers concluded.
The relatively few students who do give up may well be cancelled out statistically by a like number of students who
did graduate because the tests gave their schools an incentive to improve and to address the needs of at-risk
students, they added.
As for critics' counter-argument that recently adopted exit exams are more difficult than those of 1990s vintage and
terefore may cause more dropouts, Greene and Winters analyzed the data and found current tests are having the same
lack of impact on graduation rates as the old tests.
If exit exams convince employers of the worth of the high school diploma as an indicator of basic proficiency, that
could boost the prospects of job-seeking students. The Manhattan study indicates Hispanic youth might benefit in
particular.
U.S. Department of Labor data have shown recent Hispanic high school graduates are just as likely as recent
Hispanic dropouts to be unemployed. Passing an exit exam might give the Hispanic graduate an edge.
The states with high school exit exams are Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Louisiana, Maryland, Minnesota,
Mississippi, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and
Virginia.
Exit Exam Pressure On High School Students
Many high school students will soon learn if they passed the exit exam they took this past September.
Preliminary results released last month show that in Fresno Unified, 33% of students failed.
February will be the last time seniors can take the high school exit exam if they want to graduate with their class.
That's why schools like McLane High School have added extra classes to help seniors make the grade.
They will also be offering after school tutoring and encourging students to take extra classes over the holiday
breaks.
School officials must still figure out what to do with seniors who don't pass the high school exit exam.
There are also concerns that students who don't pass the test will just drop out of school.
Students Face State Exit Exams
Next year, the California board of education is requiring all high school seniors to pass the state exit exam in
order to earn their diplomas.
Seniors who are unable to pass the test but have passed all other high school requirements would be issued a
certificate of achievement instead of a diploma under a proposal that is being considered by the Lompoc Unified
School District, said LUSD Superintendent Frank Lynch.
“Should we give those kids (who have not passed the exit exam) a certificate of participation or certificate of
achievement?” Lynch said. “They won't be getting a diploma, but the kids who meet the criteria would be able to
walk.”
The board will consider that question on Dec. 13.
Lynch said the district has been preparing for the new exit exam requirement by helping students with problems
passing the exit exam through extra tutoring and instruction from teachers. The state board of education had
considered implementing the new test provision in 2004 and 2005 with each date postponed until the new start date of
2006, Lynch said.
Despite a drop in the percentage of Lompoc area high school students who passed the California exit exam, taken
last year, district officials say they are pleased with how they compare to other high schools statewide.
In the 2004-2005 school year, 69 percent of the LUSD high school students who took the exit exam passed the math
section and 71 percent passed the English language arts portion. In 2003-2004, 78 percent of students passed the
math portion and 80 percent passed the English section.
Jesse Bass, Lompoc Unified School District's director of student and information services, said an increase in the
number of Lompoc students taking the test had affected the results. Last year, 1,013 students took the math portion
compared to 826 the previous year. In the 2004-2005 school year, 983 students took the English section, compared to
836 the year before.
Statewide, only 63 percent of the test takers passed the math and 65 percent passed English language arts in the
2004-2005 school year.
“The students are taking it very seriously,” Lynch said. “I'm pleased with our numbers. The teachers are doing a
real good job, but when you look at the overall state figures, there is a concern about number of kids who have not
passed the test.”
High school students get seven chances to pass the test before graduation, Lynch said. LUSD 10th graders this year
can take state exam once, 11th graders can take it twice and 12th graders can take it three times.
The next testing window for the state exit exam will be in February, Lynch said.
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