Assembly passes bill requiring exit exam alternatives

Sacramento Bee ^ | 6/5/7 | Jim Sanders

[SmithL]

California high school students could obtain diplomas without passing an exit exam under legislation approved Tuesday by the Assembly.

The measure, Assembly Bill 1379, is similar to legislation vetoed in 2005 by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Passage of a high-stakes examination measuring mathematics and language skills is not the only way to demonstrate proficiency, according to supporters of AB 1379.

The bill would require the state to develop alternative methods of measuring academic competence of students unable to pass the exit exam.

[VeniVidiVici]

To further ensure assimilation doesn’t take place.

[umgud]

This ought to raise the value of a California high school diploma.

[DumpsterDiver]

The bill would require the state to develop alternative methods of measuring academic competence of students unable to pass the exit exam.

Dear student,

Either pass the current exit exam or exit the state and never darken our door again.

Cordially yours,
LAUSD & staff

[Gay State Conservative]

Any California high school student who can demonstrate the proper level of self esteem is ensured a diploma it would appear.

[Chode]

and when they fail THAT??? a loser is still a loser...

[ridesthemiles]

I am beyond glad that I no longer live in Kalifornia and have a job which includes hiring and firing.....

Now the “graduates” will be even more useless than they are now.

[Road Warrior ‘04]

They just can’t handle the four (4) r’s: readin’, ‘ritin’, ‘rithmetic and redo.

[paul51]

After all, it’s for the children

[Myrddin]

Is the exit exam targeted at 8th grade skills? If you can't pass it, you don't deserve a high school diploma. Ridiculous. California high school diploma or Charmin? Charmin is more valuable. You can do something useful with Charmin.

[Brucifer]

Well you see... mathematics is different in Spanish. The numbers add up differently. (especially during elections or when it’s time to pay taxes)

[shag377]

Georgia has something like this, but:

1.) You must pass the other required, mandated tests, which are much harder. The graduation tests are on a level approximately that of 8th grade. The End-of-Course-Tests are much, much more difficult. Fail one of those, you don’t get a variance.
2.) Attend ALL required tutoring sessions, twice a week, for up to 10 weeks before the test. You miss one session, you can’t qualify.
3.) Apply for a variance on the test and get approved. We had 4 last year take one.

In addition, they are now requiring more math and science for a diploma, and ALL special needs students must take a regular diploma. These are not watered down by any means, nor is getting a variance easy. What they are trying to do is put more of the onus of taking a diploma on the shoulders of the student.

We had 80 seniors not take a diploma because some simply did not go to the tutoring. If they had gone, they would have graduated. Of course there were other reasons too, but the tutoring was the main one.

[SoftballMominVA]

In Virginia, to earn a standard diploma, a student needs to pass 4 English, 3 math (up to Alg II), 2 sciences, 2 history and 9 electives. Of the core classes, the student must also pass 6 SOL's, (standards of learning) 2 in English, 1 in science, 1 in history, and 1 'student-selected' in other words, any of the cores. The 2 in English are an 11th grade reading test and an 11th grade writing sample. The writing sample normally ends up being about 1-2 pages and the students are judged on 3 major areas of literacy. The writing sample is considered the most difficult to pass.

If the student does not earn 6 verified credits, the student does not receive a diploma. Now the systems will give tutoring sessions, and additional attempts to pass, but the hard cold fact is - if you fail, you fail. Every one that walks across the stage has at least 6 verified credits (with the exception of the special education students. They have other options, including a certificate of attendance for the low functioning ones). There is also an advanced diploma, which is much more involved and includes 9 verified credits and languages.

The SOL's can be pretty tough, depending on the grade and the subject. If anyone would like to look at them, google Virginia Department of Education and look for released SOL tests.

[P-40]

California high school students could obtain diplomas without passing an exit exam

Speaking as an employer, those diplomas won't be worth sh*t.

[SoftballMominVA]

I agree 100%. California keeps dumbing down their whole system. No wonder my SIL and BIL sent their sons out of state to boarding schools rather than have them attend the local high school.

[JoanneSD]

My son just took his exams yesterday, after studying hard for 3 weeks and passed with good grades for nothing I guess... that was his exact remarks...this is crazy...

[P-40]

What is sad is that good students get the same diploma as the bad ones.

[SoftballMominVA]

They don't have different levels of diplomas there? In VA we have 3 options for sped kids, a regular diploma, and an advanced diploma. Plus there are about 6 different seals that kids can earn to have on their diplomas indicating different GPA's, AP classes, certification in a vo-tech field, etc.

That's crazy that they are all the exact same in CA!

[P-40]

I don’t think they do. I don’t even think we have them in Texas anymore. We had ‘tracking’ for the kids that were going to college...then we didn’t....but now we have something similar to it...but I don’t know for sure. I just know that I see a high school diploma but don’t know if the person can read, write, or do arithmetic.