California permanently eliminates high school exit exam requirement

SFGate.com ^ | 10/11/17 | Melody Gutierrez

[NormsRevenge]

SACRAMENTO — California has permanently scrapped its high school exit exam under legislation signed by Gov. Jerry Brown on Tuesday.

The California High School Exit Examination was a requirement to receive a diploma in the state, but the legislature voted in 2015 to drop it for the high school classes of 2015 to 2018. Diplomas were retroactively awarded to anyone who met all other graduation requirements after the test became a mandatory must-pass exam in 2004.

That resulted in an estimated 40,000 former high school students receiving their diplomas. The bill signed by Brown, AB830 by Ash Kalra, D-San Jose, permanently eliminates the test.

[napscoordinator]

Never knew they had it. I thought only New York required them. If only two states require these exams, maybe they are not worth the hassle.

[beergarden]

haha yes, based on what I observed and told another Freeper. I read one post where it said “I half not seen that..”. I was THIS close to telling the Freeper the mistake but you’ll be treated like an obama supporter if you do LOL

[b4me]

why bother having students attend at all?

just jump from 8th grade to college, work, thug life?

[blam]

All records of attendance and any grades will be destroyed too...they’re racist.

[blam]

Amherst students demand protection from 'hurtful' ideas

[EXCH54FE]

So, they just show up and pass? Welcome to the real world dumb ass. You want fries with that?

Can’t read, can’t spell can’t Add, can’t make change. Yep they are ready for the job market.......

[bgill]

Dumbing down for illegals.

[bgill]

You went to school when Fs were given. Today’s schools don’t give Fs. Failing grades hurt kids, don’cha know. At least the exit exams were still in effect. Now that the exit exams are too hurtful, there’s nothing. Why bother with school?

[fireman15]

Despite decades of effort and billions of dollars in funding, test scores for white, Asian American and wealthier students are much higher than those of their black, Latino and low-income peers. On computerized tests administered in the spring, for example, just 19 percent of African American students were proficient in math, compared with 73 percent of Asian American students.

Our youngest grandson has given every indication that he is probably the brightest person in our extended family. Unfortunately, he is bored out of his mind in school. They apparently teach to the lowest common denominator at his school with little opportunity for the gifted to excel. We are in the middle of fixing one house to sell and fixing another to move into. As soon as we are done with that my wife and I are hoping to figure out how to help our kids send him to a private or at least a different school. This seems like a critical time to us. Talking with him it seems like his mind is being wasted there.

When I was a kid during baby boomer days, even with classes with 40 kids or more... those of us who were considered “gifted” were given opportunities to learn at an expedited level with little supervision using “modular” self teaching materials. I do not know that I made the very best use of my time with these materials but I found it much less boring than having to spend all my time with the rest of the class.

The dull also received “special” instruction so they wouldn't be “left behind”. These classes were much smaller as they required more one on one teaching time by teachers and assistants. They also expected those of us who were ahead the other students to try and tutor the less intelligent kids. It didn't seem fair to me at the time, and we were given no real training other than just being told to help some other kid get up to speed. But it was interesting for me to find out about how people with learning disabilities especially... were not able to use their minds in the same way that I did.

[Yulee]

When California keeps flooding their education system with kids who cannot understand English, and continually drop requirements so all can pass, the regular students live down to expectations.

[sheana]

I’d agree that a single test shouldn’t determine pass or fail. An aggregate score of the tests over the school year should at least weigh heavily.

And that’s what I was saying and the way it was when I graduated. You did the work and got grades. You took tests throughout the year and got grades. They were all considered for your grade. Then your grade and credits for those grades were the determining factor for graduation. College is like that and high school used to be. Not one pass/fail test. What if you got lousy grades all year then studied real hard for that one last test and aced it? You get to graduate? Doesn’t make sense if we want them at least competent in all areas.

[sheana]

Well if they don’t give actual grades anymore then that one stupid test is not gonna make any difference anyway. Lol in theory you could sluff off for 4 years and then study like mad for that one test, ace it, and graduate. If it’s like that then that one test isn’t going to make a difference anyway.

[Chode]

"Diplomas were retroactively awarded to anyone who met all other graduation requirements"

and just exactly WHAT would they be???

[Trillian]

Why bother going at all?

[ReagansShinyHair]

one of the “qualifications” to be a “dreamer” was to have a high school diploma

Yes, but you could also be in some sort of school, such as a GED class, and get it. You don't ever have to actually graduate or get the GED, just keep enrolling in a class when you renew.

[ReagansShinyHair]

Homeschooling was the best educational decision I ever made for my children. Schools don’t teach gifted students. With Common Core and high stakes testing, the situation is so bad that they are ruining gifted students.

[fireman15]

Homeschooling was the best educational decision I ever made for my children.

We have known lots of kids who have been home schooled and that is a great option for a lot of great kids. Thanks for your work.