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One Last Hurdle: California's New Exit Exam Stands Between 65 Local High School Seniors and Their Diplomas; They'Ll Walk With Their Peers at Graduation but Won't Be Official Until They Pass the Test

Posted on: Saturday, 3 June 2006, 15:00 CDT

By AnnMarie Cornejo, The Tribune, San Luis Obispo, Calif.

Jun. 3--Sixty-five county high school seniors won't receive diplomas in their upcoming commencement ceremonies because they have yet to pass the now- required exit exam.

The 2.5 percent of seniors who failed one or both parts of the test --math and English --will participate in the ceremonies with their peers but will receive certificates of completion instead of diplomas.

This is the first year seniors are required to pass the California High School Exit Exam to receive a diploma.

The students can retake the exit exam and continue to use school resources, such as tutoring, until they pass. When that happens, they will receive a diploma.

Until last week, it wasn't clear what those students would receive. An Alameda County Superior Court judge on May 12 issued an injunction against the exit exam, but the state Supreme Court stayed that ruling.

Statewide, 9.6 percent of seniors have yet to pass the exit exam.

School officials are hoping that the number of students locally who failed the exam will drop next month.

"Some students might have already passed; we just don't know it yet," said Brad Schultz, assistant superintendent of instruction for Lucia Mar school district. Results from the most recent exam, administered in May, will not be available until July --after this month's graduation ceremonies.

Six students passed the test taken in March.

Many local high schools are offering outreach efforts, such as summer school classes, independent counseling and additional guidance to help students who have yet to pass.

Districts are also preparing for next year. Atascadero High School will introduce an English and math workshop for each grade level to offer direct instruction on exit-exam standards, said Kathy Sanders, assistant principal.

"The main theme here is that we are still in far better shape than most counties and the state, and our numbers appear to be lower than they were five weeks ago," said John Barnhart, assistant county superintendent of schools.

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Copyright (c) 2006, The Tribune, San Luis Obispo, Calif.

Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News.

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Source: The Tribune (San Luis Obispo, Calif.)

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