Judge strikes down exit exam

Contra Costa Times ^ | 5/12/6 | Shirley Dang

[SmithL]

An Alameda County judge granted the wish of 47,000 high school seniors Friday after abolishing the exit exam as a graduation requirement this year.

Superior Court Judge Robert Freedman ruled that students who earn enough credits may receive a diploma, regardless of their performance on the test.

State Superintendent of Schools Jack O'Connell is expected to appeal the injunction immediately. The state will seek a reversal that would become effective before the end of the school year, according to a request for a stay on the decision filed today.

The decision deals a significant blow to the future of the exit exam, which faces three lawsuits in all. By granting a reprieve to this year's seniors, Freedman set the stage for similar decisions on any injunctions filed in successive years, essentially nullifying the law.

The Legislature approved the law creating the test, which measures sophomore English and middle-school math skills, in 1999. O'Connell wrote the legislation as a state senator with the intention of evening out differences in graduation standards among high schools statewide, thereby giving meaning to the diploma.

At last count, 89 percent of the state's seniors, or 390,000 out of 437,000, had passed. A remaining 47,000 seniors, not including special education students, have not.

[Ivana Denisovich]

Although I don't belong to a union, I am a teacher...

I'm sorry, Amelia. My 'shallow end of the gene pool' comment didn't apply to you! I'm also a teacher (of sorts), and I see many, many incompetent teachers year after year. I was thinking of the probably 90% of the teachers that teach because they can't do anything else!

I forget that there are still some teachers out there like the ones I had (decades ago). God bless them and I wish we could go back to those times!

[Ivana Denisovich]

That is what we had a final exam in every class that resulted in if you graduated or not.

That's exactly what my family was discussing when we heard this ruling. If these 47,000 kids couldn't pass the exit exam (based on 10th grade english and 8th grade math), how were they able to pass any math high school courses? Or 11th and 12th grade English classes?

Therein lies the root of the problem. We wouldn't be needing exit exams or even state-wide testing if kids would be failed for not learning the material every year. And I'd bet that more and more would be learning it, if they knew there were actually consequences for them.

[CIB-173RDABN]

Just a reminder, over 50% of the yearly budget for the State of California is used for "education". We should have the best schools in the world. We don't.

The reason is simple. There is a disconnect between those paying the bill and those providing the service.

The reason for this is because the courts thought they knew better then the local community and started messing with the way schools are financed.

And now, we are at a point where many "graduate" without being able to read or write, and in the wisdom of the court the fix is to pretend it is not so.

Our judges have way too much power.

[Amelia]

I think the fact that every student has to pass the same test in the state in order to graduate is the problem. Don't these kids have regular exams. That is what we had a final exam in every class that resulted in if you graduated or not.

The problem is that what students learn can vary from school to school, or even from teacher to teacher within the same school. The statewide exams were instituted so that students, parents, and potential employers could be assured that someone with a high school diploma has at least basic skills.

I've had high school students who were reading and/or doing math at a third grade level or below, because they'd been socially promoted through the lower grades. Before these exams existed, they'd have been socially promoted right on out of high school, if they were nice kids, worked hard, and didn't cause trouble.

[Ivana Denisovich]

... the taxes we pay are pretty near the cost of tuition at any of our local pariochal schools.

Vouchers would be a good way to increase the standards in both public and private schools. Competition in the marketplace always helps. It just burns me - and others I know - be to paying tuition at a private school AND knowing part of our property taxes goes to the local school district.

the crap that they allow to go on with in those walls is absurd

Do you think it's any better at the private schools around you? I remember being pretty shocked at what was allowed at a Catholic private school. I think, in general, the society has fallen so far down that things that are seen as 'normal' today wouldn't have even been considered a couple of decades ago. Of course, some school administrators are more lenient than others...

[FreedomCalls]

Superior Court Judge Robert Freedman ruled that students who earn enough credits may receive a diploma, regardless of their performance on the test.

Can we throw out the state bar exam and grant attorney's licenses to all who simply have enough law school credits regardless of their performance on the bar exam? Huh Judge? What about that?

[Ivana Denisovich]

LOL! Good analogy.

And I'm sure I'd love to have surgery by a doctor who couldn't pass the medical specialty exams.

[Seaplaner]

An Alameda County judge granted the wish of 47,000 high school seniors Friday after abolishing the exit exam as a graduation requirement this year.

Thereby abolishing the lesson that hard work, personal achievement, and responsible behavior are worthy objectives that guide students along the path of success.

With the many, many horrible influences that children face nowadays, the notion that in order to succeed, they must take responsibility to master some (pathetically simple) elements of mathematics and English language is crucial.

It's a common theme, I'm afraid.

Achievers must be punished.

Karl Marx would be proud of this (alleged) judge.

[Amelia]

I can tell you, my teachers are very well paid. Union membership is optional, but you have to pay the dues regardless of if you're in the organization or not, supposedly because they're doing the work in your behalf and you're reaping the benefits, no matter if you want that help or not.

I've seen that teachers are well paid in NY. I don't think I'd want to teach in some of the schools there, particularly in NYC, but that's another topic. In some places, the cost of living is pretty high, too, isn't it?

A friend of my brother was teaching in NY, and was pretty disillusioned with the way some things were done. I'm not sure if it was his district or the entire state, but he said that students who were expelled from school had the right to a visiting home teacher so they could continue their education if they wished.

[Syncro]

I am not gonna bother reading his ruling.

Well at least you could read it. The Graduating class again doesn't have to read to graduate!

[napscoordinator]

It is a problem that is so impossible to figure out. Not because I or anyone else can figure out a solution, but due to the huge amount of bureaucracy, it is impossible to actually have kids get a good education. I really wish they would have some kids (who are not book smart...whatever that means) go into a track of vocational education where kids learn a trade. Of course, I definitely think these kids should learn to write and math, but really if we have a car mechanic who will do fine on the outside does he/she really need Shakespeare. What he needs is to write out sales tickets, add two numbers together, etc. This might not be what you agree with and I probably am not exactly explaining myself right, but when I was in school, I was at a Catholic high school and we had about three kids who went to these vocational schools for a few hours a day, but sadly they were made fun of for being stupid (which of course was not true and actually they are probably doing very well today from their trade they learned). They took three classes at our high school, but I cannot imagine them being able to pass a statewide test...do you really think honestly if they didn't pass would it really be a better solution to not give them a degree? I just don't know what the best angle is for education. One thing I certainly know is that education needs to be completely overhauled!!!!! Keep in mind who are writing these tests and making the schools comply...the elitist liberals!!!!

[RedBeaconNY]

One word (brace yourself):





...liberalism

[Amelia]

I'm sorry, Amelia. My 'shallow end of the gene pool' comment didn't apply to you! I'm also a teacher (of sorts), and I see many, many incompetent teachers year after year. I was thinking of the probably 90% of the teachers that teach because they can't do anything else!

No problem! I've seen a bunch of them in the education classes I've taken! :-)

I'm not sure if I'd put the percentage as high as 90%, though. I know quite a few very good teachers who could do other things, but love to teach.

[Amelia]

We wouldn't be needing exit exams or even state-wide testing if kids would be failed for not learning the material every year. And I'd bet that more and more would be learning it, if they knew there were actually consequences for them.

We're obviously on the same wavelength on this matter.

[napscoordinator]

I've had high school students who were reading and/or doing math at a third grade level or below, because they'd been socially promoted through the lower grades. Before these exams existed, they'd have been socially promoted right on out of high school, if they were nice kids, worked hard, and didn't cause trouble.


True but that has been going on for at least twenty-five years and these kids are still getting jobs (maybe not the best, but still can get jobs). Especially now with a 4 percent unemployment rate people are begging people to work for them. I seriously think education is extremely important, but I just don't believe that kids should be taught the same and have the same classes and teaching styles. I believe that is one major problems that we have. I mean you give someone a picture of the cell and told them to study it. You are going to have some who can and some who can't. The ones who can't are going to have to be taught another way. That is all I am saying. The American Education system has been to "one-way" and I think we are seeing that becoming a problem. In school, I was lucky to be able to memorize anything. Give me something and say test tomorrow, I would run home and memorize it and the next day the test came in and I would write word for word the answers....did I learn? I don't know. The only thing I am glad about is that I can still do the route memory thing even today. Education must change is all I am saying. I can spill out the prepositions all day long, but can I find one in a sentence? (I can, but some might not be able too).

[Amelia]

I really wish they would have some kids (who are not book smart...whatever that means) go into a track of vocational education where kids learn a trade. Of course, I definitely think these kids should learn to write and math, but really if we have a car mechanic who will do fine on the outside does he/she really need Shakespeare.

I agree with you, and I think we'd have fewer disciplinary problems in our schools as well, if the more technical/mechanical minded students could get an education they thought was useful and practical.

when I was in school...we had about three kids who went to these vocational schools for a few hours a day, but sadly they were made fun of for being stupid (which of course was not true and actually they are probably doing very well today from their trade they learned).

They're probably making more money than a lot of people with business (or education!) degrees, truth be told.

[napscoordinator]

They're probably making more money than a lot of people with business (or education!) degrees, truth be told.



You are right and you are right about that behavior thing. It is so funny to me that the educators feel that all kids MUST sit in a chair all day for eight hours and just listen to someone drone on about these facts. We don't do that in the real world! It is funny I hate sitting still for a one-hour meeting and we expect kids to sit there all day. I am in the Navy so I luckily can move around a lot.

[Peelod]

?du ya wanna taak da xam?
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[Ivana Denisovich]

I really wish they would have some kids (who are not book smart...whatever that means) go into a track of vocational education where kids learn a trade.

I agree with you and I don't know when these options went away. I went to school at a time when not everyone was expected to go to college. That's one problem with how things are run now. All students are expected to complete the requirements to get into a college, and those that can't feel less than. We need good mechanics, plumbers, and electricians - and they make darn good money, looking at what they charge!



I'm not sure why I'm being asked this because I thought the better solution to state-wide tests and exit exams was to fail the kids who didn't learn the material in a class. But ... since the exit exam in CA was at an 8th grade level in math and 10th grade in English (and mind you that our education levels have been dumbed down over the past decades), I don't think any student should get a diploma without passing it. 9th and 10th graders have passed it, saying it was easy. Even someone in a vocational field will need math at a middle school level and to be able to comprehend material written at a 10th grade level. It would benefit them to get up to that level, if they aren't already -to read plumbing manuals or the electrical code.

[Ivana Denisovich]

One thing I forgot is that it sounds like you are saying the European style of education would be better. Kids take a test at a certain grade to find out if they should pursue a math, language, science, or whatever else there is field. Then they go to classes that emphasize those elements. The good thing is that they graduate people with a really strong background in what they studied. The bad part would be that if a kid really liked something, say math, but didn't do well on the test, there wouldn't be the option for them to pursue it.