UCLA researchers say lower percentage passed exit exam than state reported

AP on Bakersfield Californian ^ | 8/23/05 | Garance Burke - AP

[NormsRevenge]

SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) - State education officials painted a brighter picture about the percentage of students passing the high school exit exam because they ignored dropouts, according to a study released Tuesday by the University of California, Los Angeles.

The study is the latest salvo in the long-standing fight over the state's exit exam, which tests students on their ability to master basic math and English. The mandatory, multiple-choice exam is in line with targets for state accountability and the new federal requirements under the No Child Left Behind law.

California high schoolers have been taking the test since 2004, but for the first time, members of this year's senior class could be denied a diploma if they fail.

According to data the California Department of Education released last week, 88 percent of this year's high seniors passed the math portion of the exam by last spring and the same percentage had passed the English portion, a steady improvement since the class began taking the test as sophomores. It was not known what percentage of students have passed both portions.

But when researchers at UCLA's Institute for Democracy, Education and Access recalculated those figures and factored in children who dropped out of school since first taking the test or simply stopped sitting for the exam, they found only 80 percent passed the math portion of the test and 81 passed the English portion.

"We know there is a dropout problem, but that's not the question we're trying to answer," said Rick Miller, a spokesman for the California Department of Education. "We really need to ask why are these children not getting the education they need to pass the test?"

Critics say the exam could unfairly punish students who attend poor schools with few credentialed teachers.

According to the report, students who have not passed the test are also more likely to be low-income students of color who attend large schools staffed by unqualified teachers.

"The state's claim to implement the exit exam is based on the assumption that all students were given a fair shot, no matter what school they attended," UCLA education researcher John Rogers said at a conference at the National Hispanic University. "That clearly is not the case."

These figures are crucial, and quite political, since officials use the exam results as a baseline upon which to gauge school districts' success and to allocate school funding. State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell is perhaps the exit exam's strongest supporter, having written the bill that authorized the test in 1999.

The study also said more than 60 percent of special education students and 40 percent of students learning English as a second language had not passed at least one of the tests.

Several school districts are already suing the state to seek alternate measures to assess English language learners' competency in another form, and in other languages. Bills pending in the Legislature also seek to make exceptions for students with disabilities, and to require school authorities to assess students' linguistic and economic barriers to passing the test.

Yet both sides can agree on one thing: tens of thousands of high school seniors have yet to pass either the English-Language Arts or Mathematics portions of the test. Andy Huang, a senior at Independence High School in San Jose, said three of his friends are among that group.

"It's just the resources that we're lacking that's keeping them from graduating," Huang said. "If they don't pass the test this time around, I don't know what I'll do."

[randog]

"We really need to ask why are these children not getting the education they need to pass the test?"

Uhhhhmmmm....maybe because they dropped out of school?

[TexGuy]

"Well, the world needs ditch diggers too"! - Judge Smails

[Kevin OMalley]

BFLR = Bump for later reading.