Seniors who do not pass the California High School Exit Exam, which goes into effect this year, will not be able to receive a diploma. However, the local board of education has determined that all who have completed local school requirements for graduation will be able to participate in commencement ceremonies and receive a certificate of completion.
By Max Taves / Special to the Times
The Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District Board of Education at its meeting last week upheld the right of seniors who do not pass the California High School Exit Examination, but have completed local graduation requirements, to participate in graduation ceremonies. According to state law implemented this year, seniors who complete local requirements for graduation but fail the state exit test will not receive a diploma. The board’s decision came the day before an announcement by State Superintendent of Education Jack O’Connell on Friday that there is no alternative to the test.
The exit exam consists of an English language arts section geared to 9th and 10th grade levels, and a mathematics section geared to an 8th grade level. Students are allowed three hours per section to complete the test, and can retake the test multiple times.
Among the more contentious details statewide has been whether to allow seniors who meet local school requirements but fail the state test to participate in graduation. The law has also incited anger from disability rights groups who argue the test does not make sufficient exemptions for special education students. A settlement agreement last year with disability advocates would have exempted special education students from this year’s requirement to take the test. However, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger vetoed a bill Tuesday that would have excused disabled students from having to pass the state test in order to receive diplomas for the next two years. The bill, SB 586, was written by state Senator Gloria Romero (D-Los Angeles).
According to an article in the Los Angeles Times, an independent analysis estimated that 50,000 high school seniors will not pass one or both parts of the test this year and will not be able to receive diplomas.
SMMUSD Superintendent John Deasy expects that 20 students out of 1,000 seniors from Santa Monica High and Malibu High schools will not pass the exit exam. He said 12 special education students attending district schools passed a modified exit exam and will receive diplomas. He also said half of the 20 are special education students who have not passed the exit exam with modifications. Some of these students have profound disabilities.
According to district records, 38 seniors have not taken the test, and 36 seniors have taken it and have not passed one or both parts of the test. These 74 students have one more opportunity to take the test this school year.
The district board unanimously agreed that students who fail the exam are allowed to participate in graduation procedures, but members disagreed over what minimum standards the district should require from seniors in order to graduate.
Currently, seniors must only take the test once in order to meet school guidelines for graduation. The Class of 2006 will have had five opportunities to take the test by the school year’s end. Students can take the test once in their sophomore year and twice in their junior and senior years.
Board member Shane McLoud questioned the district’s current graduation guidelines.
“I’m more comfortable coming up with a minimum number of attempts, maybe once a year. I don’t like the idea of a student taking this [state test only] once,” McLoud said.
Board members Emily Bloomfield and Maria Leon-Vasquez supported raising the minimum number of attempts required by the district.
Board member Jose Escarce doubted that raising the minimum number of attempts could be anymore enticing than receiving a diploma.
“To imagine that this will have a major incentive effect is incorrect,” Escarce said.
Among those students who have not passed the test, many have taken it multiple times and continue to be within five points of passing each time said Donna Muncey, chief academic officer and district assistant superintendent.
The district offers students support in the form of test preparation classes during the school day, after school and during the summer.
The identification of seniors who will graduate but not receive a diploma in the district’s graduation program also raised concern. Board members insisted that the district’s graduation programs do not stigmatize such students.
Deasy said he thought that omitting students’ names from the program would not be stigmatizing. District Board Vice President Kathy Wisnicki said she wanted all graduating seniors to be included in a commencement program but welcomed feedback from the district’s principals.
“Keep students in the program,” she said. “It would be really noticeable at Malibu High [School].”
The Board of Education will finalize the details of this year’s graduation in upcoming meetings.
The law that mandated the statewide exam was written in 1999 and was intended to become effective for the Class of 2004. State superintendent O’Connell envisioned the test as a solution to the wide variation in standards required by the state’s numerous districts. A lawsuit filed on behalf of California students with disabilities delayed the law’s passage until this year.