California Court blocks state high school exit exam

Parent Cafe
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<p>The problem with the high school exit exam begins all the way back in grades K-3. You have students who don't master elementary material being passed along year after year to the next grade, falling successively further behind not only the "top" of the class but the "average."</p>

<p>By the time these students get to high school, they're hopeless behind and without hope many drop out before the question of an exit exam even becomes relevant. </p>

<p>Addressing the issue with "extra" English and math classes on the high school level isn't all that much more useful than applying bandaids for cholera: not only are many of these students missing the basic building blocks of knowledge, they are missing the fundamental sense of "why" and any sense of academic self-confidence has been forcibly extinguished long since.</p>

<p>Many people have their favorite hobby horses but there's no one simple one-size-does-all solution; cf., the "homeless" problem. </p>

<p>There are teachers who give up on kids early on because "these aren't the kinds of kids who are going to learn." There are administrators who heavily pressure teachers to pass the kids so that their stats won't look back...and after a while, most teachers go with the flow and those who are uncooperative about participating in the conspiracy find themselves facing difficulties of their own. You have parents working two jobs and simply don't have the energy to drag their butts into meetings with teachers or principals or the PTA, immigrant parents who don't "get" the American educational system from any one of a dozen different directions and are ill-equipped to support a child's progress through the system, parents who think that "education" is the school's sole responsibility and please don't bother them about it. You have students who don't have a sense of responsibility, a sense of linking the "now" to a "future", and no one ever makes a sustained effort to have them connect.</p>

<p>I served on a high school committee that included several students, including one who said that teachers shouldn't grade for homework. After I found some way to object other than saying that which is commonly abbreviated "**<em>?", he explained that it was hard for him to find a place to *do</em> the homework where he could concentrate. "My aunt lives with us and she says that as long as she pays part of the rent, she can have the TV on as much and as loud as she wants." Well, the kid is wrong about not grading homework but the problem is not entirely of his making. </p>

<p>It takes an iron triangle--teachers, parents, and student--to consistently underwrite academic success and for too many students one or more have abdicated early on. Failing the high school exit exam is like the bill coming due after using a credit card without pause or consequence for 12 years...why should anyone really be surprised when the envelope is opened and the extent of damage revealed?</p>

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<p>The sad thing is that if "money was no object" we could allot a perfectly qualified teacher "hand selected" for EACH student in America (a private tutor for one and all). But, yet, there would still be kids that won't show up for school, won't do their homework, will be disrespectful to the teacher, and/or won't pay attention. </p>

<p>There are some kids who just don't have an "education ethic", who think that they are "too cool" to do school work or (heaven forbid, study!), or who are just too lazy and would rather play video games all day. There are some things that schools and/or money will never be able to solve. If parents do not instill a "school ethic" into their kids, school just won't be that important to them. </p>

<p>But... the answer should never be.... just give them a diploma.</p>

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<p>Calmom.... </p>

<p>When I read an article in the Sacramento Bee, I was surprised to read about English learners that have passed the reading section but not the math section. If that is the case then the English section cannot only/mostly have such difficult words in the questions. </p>

<p>By the way, there should be some "frequently used" word list that California uses as it vocab list. If an English learner studies from that list, he should be able to learn enough "unusual" words to pass enough questions (again, about half needed to be answered correctly) in order to get a passing score.</p>

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<p>You want kids to pass an exit exam before they get their high school diploma? Fine with me. Let's start now - first, we'll determine what we as a society expect our kids know when they leave high school. Then let's make it clear to the kids who are now in kindergarten that in order to graduate high school they must not only pass a prescribed number of classes (as their parents did), but must pass an examination as well (as their parents did not). Let's "teach to the test" starting in first grade, with each year's work building on the work of the year before. Let's provide intensive intervention for failing kids beginning in elementary school, not starting a few months before high school graduation. Let's not fall for the educational theory du jour every couple of years, and most importantly, let's find a stable method of funding our schools at an equitable level so we can end the "boom and bust" cycle that's plagued public education in California since 1978. (Oh, and while we're at it, can we end this mania for testing that's taking so much instructional time away from our kids? So far this year, my 10th grader has lost classroom time to the PSAT, the CAHSEE, District testing, and this week and next, the CST, CAT-6 and NCLB tests.) </p>

<p>Only then will I feel it fair to require kids to pass an exam before granting them a high school diploma.</p>

<p>If you want to raise the bar, that's fine. But it's only fair to give the vaulter fair warning and a solid pole with which to compete before you do so.</p>

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<p>The fact that you consider requiring 12th-graders to demonstrate mastery of 7th-grade education before getting their HS diplomas "raising the bar" says it all.</p>

<p>I still don't understand what business a judge had getting involved.</p>

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<p>driver: </p>

<p>Your point is so right on. S</p>

<p>Some think that expecting a 50% accuracy of 7th grade - 10 grade material is "too much" and anything more is "raising the bar"!!!</p>

<p>This is scary when one realizes that a K-12 education costs about 100K (more for kids who are ESL) and yet we can't expect at least a 10th grade proficiency??</p>

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<p>
[quote]
Some think that expecting a 50% accuracy of 7th grade - 10 grade material is "too much" and anything more is "raising the bar"!!!</p>

<p>This is scary when one realizes that a K-12 education costs about 100K (more for kids who are ESL) and yet we can't expect at least a 10th grade proficiency??

[/quote]
</p>

<p>And even worse, for many, the "solution" is to throw more money at the "problem". In fact, the courts have in certain instances, REQUIRED more money to be spent to supposedly "solve inequalities" - without regard to measuring results in any way. </p>

<p>All inputs ($$), no outputs (unless you consider granting diplomas without needing to demonstrate ANY proficiency in reading, writing, and math an "output"). And it isn't likely to change as long as we have the teachers' unions and courts in control.</p>

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<p>My point is that we've told these kids for most of their lives that if they stayed in school and passed their classes they'd receive a high school diploma. Then we changed the rules. We sent kids to underfunded schools with less-qualified teachers and made them guinea pigs for every educational theory we could throw at them in the name of school reform, then expected them to make up for twelve years of neglect in a few months of remedial classes. While it's distressing that so many can't pass the CAHSEE, it shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone. </p>

<p>I would not be opposed to giving a tiered diploma for the next few years - say, giving the kids who passed the test a diploma "with distinction" in English, math, or both. But I think it's unfair to deny a diploma to those kids who played by the rules they were given when they began their education, just because "accountability" has become the new buzzword.</p>

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<p>That's an interesting theory. </p>

<p>In my own case, more than 30 years ago, the state of Illinois passed a requirement that all high school students had to take and pass a consumer economics class. This law went into effect as I started my senior year, which meant I had to drop band and chorus to fit this class into my schedule in order to graduate. I guess I didn't realize they were violating my "rights" by instituting something with no advance notice that forced me to drop something I'd taken and loved for more than 7 or 8 years just to get my diploma.</p>

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<p>Pamavision. I appreciate your comments, and your compassion for the kids. I love my son, and his friends, and wish nothing but happiness and success for them. However, we do our kids (or other students) a disservice if we give them a free pass. Is it better that they learn the rules (of the real world) while in school? I contend that it is. Or would you rather have them get hit with a dose of reality in their first job? If you read my post (#45 in this thread), most jobs have little tolerance for low performance. Would it be better for these kids to get fired from a job for poor performance? If they have been coddled their whole life, then they will most likely blame the employer when they get fired. Surely, you have known people who go from job to job, angry at prior employers, for holding them "accountable" for minimal standards (attendance, accuracy, etc.). Many of these life skills are taught in schools. If we give them a pass in school, what motivation will they have to change when they are in the workforce.</p>

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<p>pamavision, </p>

<p>I agree completely with your gripe about over-testing; I hate it too.</p>

<p>But the exit exam really hasn't been sprung on people with no warning. The exit test has been given for about the last 4-5 years, this is just the first clas required to pass it. The kids not passing it now have had 4-5 years of warning, at least in our district, as the test is given annually beginning in the 9th grade.</p>

<p>TheDad wrote:</p>

<p>
[quote]
Failing the high school exit exam is like the bill coming due after using a credit card without pause or consequence for 12 years...why should anyone really be surprised when the envelope is opened and the extent of damage revealed?

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</p>

<p>Very well put.</p>

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<p>If we have to "grandfather" all kids who are already IN school (K-12) everytime an improvement/reform is implemented than we will have to wait 13 years to see the first result from any change .</p>

<p>AND, if the 'change" wasn't successful and needs to be adjusted, then we have to wait another 13 years to see the results of the implemented adjustment. </p>

<p>CAN"T YOU SEE how impractical and silly that would be???</p>

<p>When the state made the change, it "grandfathered" an appropriate number of grades which is why this is the first affected year.</p>

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<p>Actually, I think it is even worse than that. I thought my D's year (2004) was supposed to be the first affected year...but the affect was delayed.</p>

<p>A couple of changes that I did see in our local school district--all kids take Algebra 1 (the first half of the book) in 8th grade (with the advanced kids starting in 7th grade); kids who can't pass English and/or math at a certain level are required to go to summer school after grade 8 or to take a gap year at a special focus school before entering grade 9. </p>

<p>I haven't paid much attention to our local high school's passage rate on the CAHSEE, since I don't foresee my youngest D having trouble passing it. In general, I think there is WAY too much testing (and "teaching to the test")going on . Whatever happenned to education?</p>

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<p>I suggested something like this in an earlier posts. do you mind saying what state has this policy?</p>

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<p>I'm talking about the Vista Unifed School District in CA (northern San Diego County). I don't know if all school districts in CA have the same arrangements.</p>

<p>Our local high school is 40% Hispanic.</p>

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<p>According to this article, students have up to six opportunities to pass the exit exams over the course of several years.
[quote]
Gonzalez [plaintiff's attorney] likes to frame the exit exam as "one test" -- as if students must pass after being thrown into a rushing stream, or else they will sink. Not so. Students first take the two exit-exam tests as sophomores.</p>

<p>If they score more than 55 percent in the math test or more than 60 percent in English language arts, they pass and never have to take that test again. If they fail, well, that's a wake-up call that a student has not learned what he needs to know. Passing grades won't send a false message to parents and students, who will have two more chances as juniors and three chances as seniors to pass the exam.

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</p>

<p><a href="http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2006/05/a_judge_stands_up_for_ignoranc.html%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2006/05/a_judge_stands_up_for_ignoranc.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

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<p>having taken this test when i was in high school and even though it wasn't a graduation requirement for my public california high school, i can honestly tell you that I am embarressed for my peers who can't pass it.</p>

<p>the test is incredibly easy. at the very most, the math goes up to geometry.</p>

<p>i honestly think they should block kids from getting a diploma. having overcrowded classrooms and what not are not an exuse. i'm saying this because i had overcrowded classrooms. some classrooms where there weren't even enough seats for everyone to sit down.</p>

<p>and i passed it!</p>

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<p>liek....</p>

<p>glad to hear from someone who has taken the test. </p>

<p>If students and parents are finding out 2 years before graduation (soph year) that their child can't pass what is, at MOST, a sophomore level test, then there is no excuse for not spending the next 2 years getting to the point where that kid can get a little more half the questions correct in order to pass -- </p>

<p>Remember, kids only have to get a little more than HALF of the questions right on the test in order to pass! so really, what is normally considered to be a failing score (about 55%) is a passing score for this test.</p>

<p>There are many that just want to feel sorry for those who haven't gotten their act together in order to pass this test. They make up excuses that are just that.... excuses..... over-crowded class, bullets-flying (how is it that kids in Israel and the middle east where bullets and bombs fly all day long could easily pass this test?), underqualified math teachers. The math is so easy, the art and drama teachers could teach it (no insult to those fine teachers - just making the point that one doesn't need to know how to teach Calculus in order to teach basic algebra and geometry.)</p>

<p>Everyone had YEARS to prepare for this test. It didn't just arrive two years ago. It was supposed to be implemented before this class but was delayed which gave students and schools more time. </p>

<p>The fact is some kids JUST DON"T TAKE SCHOOL SERIOUSLY. I'm sure if the schools posted the attendance records of those who are now whining about not getting to graduate, these kids wouldn't get any sympathy at all.</p>

<p>Schools are at a HUGE disadvantage as this is "tried in the press". "Johnny", "Susie" and the others can whine all they want to the media, but the schools are bound by confidentiality laws that prevent them from saying that those kids often ditched school, didn't do their homework, were "goof offs" in class, etc. </p>

<p>Frankly, the schools should just start giving F's to these kids so that the test isn't the only reason these kids won't be able to graduate. Giving these kids "passing scores" (D's in many cases) is also wrong when these kids clearly did not have "passing" knowledge of the subjects.</p>

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<p>add to above:</p>

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<p>But, as we know, if schools gave F's during the frosh and soph years, the "drop out" rate will increase and there will be another outrage.... and so it goes..... The schools can't win in this issue.</p>

<p>omigod, I was just thinking, what do those who think I hate schools and teachers think of my recent posts? Will they finally see the truth....no... that would be too logical.</p>

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<p>Well.... there really is no other way. When dealing with a 13 year program (education K-12) which includes millions of kids and is using tax-payer money a standardized, measured system must be in place.</p>