Suspend California's high school exit exam, Democrats propose

San Jose Mercury News ^ | June 21, 2009 | Dana Hull

[reaganaut1]

Amid yet another round of budget negotiations, Democrats made a surprising and controversial proposal this week: Suspend the state's high school exit exam.

The move was largely inspired by philosophical worries: Democrats on the influential budget conference committee say they cannot in good conscience mandate the exam for students while at the same time propose to slash education funding by millions of dollars more.

"When the state is making cuts that could lead to a shorter school year, fewer teachers and larger class sizes, it doesn't seem realistic to expect the same results as before the cuts," said Assembly Speaker Karen Bass, D-Los Angeles, in a statement.

Educators and business leaders blasted the proposal, saying the two-part multiple- -choice test of basic math and reading skills is a cornerstone of the state's "accountability" system. Though it's unclear whether the test will survive the budget negotiations, the fact that Democrats, traditionally strong allies of public education, put it forward has test advocates worried the exit exam is vulnerable.

Diploma requirement

Since 2006, high school students have been required to pass the test in order to get their diplomas. But an estimated 40,000 students, more than half of whom are special education students, don't pass the test annually.

Under the Democrats' proposal, students would still have to take the test once — to comply with federal "No Child Left Behind" regulations — but it would cease being a graduation requirement until at least 2012-2013.

"People in the field say the exit exam is the greatest high school reform effort we have made in a generation," said State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell, who, as a legislator, wrote the bill creating the exam.

[calcowgirl]

That is quite a picture you paint — and dark, at that.

What do you think the solution is?

[Irish Eyes]

Can’t let these kids get too educated you know, they might not vote for the democrats.

[goldi]

There is nothing you can do to help them. That’s the way they are. Let them leave school at the age of 13 or younger even. They can work in the fields, short order cook, collect trash, clean houses, whatever. There will always be some menial job they can do. It’s not worth spending money on people who do not care. They are not going to succeed, let them go.

I don’t want to hear they will go on welfare and commit crimes. They do that already. Don’t add insult to injury by expecting the taxpayers to pay for their education. You will probably wind up paying taxes to house them in prisons. Fine, either school or prison but not both.

[Melian]

Our school system already feeds them breakfast and lunch; provides free prenatal care and daycare when they have their babies while in high school. Many of our students are pregnant. We provide all our students with books, and in many classrooms we also provide their paper and notebooks to them. Students taunt those who try to be academic and call them “schoolboy.”

I don’t think the solution lies in high school. It is in the grade schools where all the basics must be taught. I don’t understand how a child can attend our elementary and junior high schools and still not know he needs to remember to start a sentence with a capital letter. I would pour all the money into the grade schools and try to help them when they are young and impressionable. They already are too “cool” to be academic by the time they get to high school.