"I heard somewhere that the high school exit exam actually tests 8th grade proficiency in these subjects."
Actually the tests require 8th to 10th grade skills in math and English. Way tougher than you heard, eh? That's why we're proud to say, "We're California. Our high school graduates have basic skills of at least 8th to 10th graders."
I've got to note that I am awestruck by the admission standards of the colleges the non-graduates will be attending. Remedial math and English classes must be strong points of their curricula.
see post #21. I explained where I heard it.
They also have a total of 6 times to take and pass these exams. Once in the 10th grade, twice in the 11th and 3 times in their senior year.
After taking it the first time, and if they fail it, they know where they need extra help. Also, a passing grade is 55% (in math, I believe) and 60% on the English portion.