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Valenzuela held her own certificate. But in a way, she left empty-handed. She does not qualify for a diploma after failing the English part of the high school exit exam -- a denial she keenly felt during the ceremony.

"I am not OK with that," Valenzuela said.

Oh, Puh-LEEEEEEEZE!!!!!!!! You don't get a HS diploma for showing up for 4 years and sitting in class. You get it for absorbing the knowledge being disseminated and by being able to demonstrate that knowledge on a competitive examination. It is the state that accredits these schools and the state that must be able to stand behind the abilities of its HS graduates. Otherwise, the paper diploma is entirely without meaning.

But, let's extend the debate over standardized tests. In their lifetimes, these HS graduates will have to take and pass tests if they want to be:
1) A doctor
2) A lawyer
3) A CPA
4) A real estate salesperson or broker
5) A truck driver
6) A teacher
7) A construction contractor (electrician, carpenter, plumber, etc.)
8) A beautician/cosmetologist/barber
9) An insurance salesperson
10) A stockbroker

And the list goes on and on. Get over this whining about taking a standardized test to graduate from HS. For those who pass the test, it is positive proof that they learned the material. For those who don't, it's another reason to whine about discrimination and how life is so unfair.

Deal with it!!!