California Exit Exam Fails Kids and the State

Regarding LBUSD. LBUSD just now informed me that students not passing portion(s) of the exit exam will not participate in the graduation ceremony (receiving the cert of completion of course work). I've also been informed that students that passed but lack credits will participate. I spoke with Superintendent Chris Steinhauser and he confirmed both stating that 1) "the State ruled and not passing means not participating - nothing at this point can be done" and 2) "lacking credits can be made up during summer school". My issue is that my daughter did not pass the Math portion but will take it again in July (which is the summer). Why can't she or why won't the district let her participate.
I and several other parents would like some type of assistance in this issue being that Millikan High School graduation is on June 15. Also, test results have not been released to the students or parents as yet. I bugged my daughter's counselor until it was verbally released on 5/30/2006.

Personally, I graduated from high school two years ago, and since I went to a private school, I did not have to take the exit exam. Personally, I think it's unfair. Why now is an exit exam necessary? Why wasn't it important 50 years ago? I think that the California Supreme Court is using the exit exams against minorities, lower income children and ESL students as a way to keep them away from the workforce. Most places where you can make a livable wage will not hire someone without a high school diploma, and adding another huge burden like the exit exam on top of other obligations like the SAT or ACT's, AP tests and school final exams. Showing competency is important, but isn't that what final exams are supposed to do?

Besides, a standardized test doesn't prepare students for the real world. After looking at sample questions from the math section of the exit exam, I don't see how they are relevant. In no real world situation outside of a school is someone going to ask you to look at two slope intercept equations and match them to their graphs. This type of thing doesn't prepare someone for the real world. The English does, sure, but the math is just a waste of time, designed to penalize those who go to schools with the least funding. But if you can't read and understand English, how can you pass your finals or do your homework in class?

But passing a standardized test like the SAT doesn't mean you're competent. It means you know how to take a test; a test that is not set up fairly and is not a measure on intelligence or knowledge. People who pass the exit exam are expert test takers, but being good at taking tests doesn't equal lingual and mathematic mastery.

But the one thing about the exit exam that really upsets me is the fact that adults who went to high school years in the past but didn't finish, now have to take the exit exam. These are people who haven't been to school in years. If the point of this test is to prove that you have the "mastery" of math and English to succeed in the "post-graduation world", shouldn't these people pass by default? They've obviously gone out and succeeded in the world, without the "mastery" that this ridiculous and unfair test "gives" them.

Once again, a politicians attempt to fix a system that wasn't broken in the first place.

I know people will argue with me education in California is suffering. But save the money from making, distributing and administering the exit exam and give it to schools to help them teach their students better.

Instead of passing legislation to "fix" a "problem", first find out why students can't succeed in the real world. If you had even been to a classroom for a minute, you would realize that schools are in shambles, the education system can't afford to hire and retain decent teachers, and most schools can't afford basic supplies to help educate students. Use our money wisely and stop using it for discriminatory policies.

Just my $0.02.

I am very upset that the State does not address the needs of students that have immigrated here to the United Stated less than 2 years befor graduation. These children have no way of becoming proficient in English to pass the CHASSE.

Our school councilor suggests that they wait until they are 19 and go on to Jr. College. She says that they can then transfer to a University. Why would anyone go to High School it is was that easy?

No Help is being offered to a friend of the family from Korea who arrived here just last Aug 05. She has a CELDT score of 1 and a listening score of beginner level. What can be done for the hundreds of kids that are second language learners and do not have the time necessary to learn English to pass the CHASSE. I have seen the released items from the test and find it hard to believe most 8th graders could pass such a test.

I am very upset that the State does not address the needs of students that have immigrated here to the United Stated less than 2 years befor graduation. These children have no way of becoming proficient in English to pass the CHASSE.

Our school councilor suggests that they wait until they are 19 and go on to Jr. College. She says that they can then transfer to a University. Why would anyone go to High School it is was that easy?

No Help is being offered to a friend of the family from Korea who arrived here just last Aug 05. She has a CELDT score of 1 and a listening score of beginner level. What can be done for the hundreds of kids that are second language learners and do not have the time necessary to learn English to pass the CHASSE. I have seen the released items from the test and find it hard to believe most 8th graders could pass such a test. She is however getting "A'S" in all of her classes. How can this be when she doesn't understand what the teachers are talking about most of the time?

I do not know why they should have exit exams anyway because most of the things you take on the test is not what four years of High School is about. I know in Indiana they have set up 95 percent attendence C average showed work of test that did not meet the state recomened by the prinpal and teachers and couselor, summer school night school and turtoring ect. Also still taking the test that has the portion that has not passed yet. Plus meet the other Graduation Reguirements. Some School are less stricter than others.

Students who have passed all other requirements at their comprehensive high school except the CAHSEE should be given a chance to pass in subsequent years. If the CAHSEE is passed,(even if after the four years of high school) they should be issued a diploma from the high school of attendance. What does it matter when they passed the exam? They earned the class credits and demonstrated their knowledge by passing the CAHSEE. They should earn the same diploma as their classmate who passed the test within the four years of high school.
The majority of high school districts will, at best, offer an adult school diploma not a diploma from the comprehensive high school they attended.
This is discouraging students who did everything asked of them in high school. Attended, did not drop out, passed all course requirements, stuck it out but did not pass the CAHSEE in a timely fashion. They are not given a high school diploma, and feel they are a failure. We want more students to earn a high school diploma. These students would be most proud if their acheivements of passing all course requirements and the CAHSEE allowed them to be issued the diploma they earned from the high school they attended.

I dont know why they have to have that hard exam? my son goes to school everyday he needs only 40 credits he passed the english but he cant pass the math he is such a good kid never has been in trouble he is very good in computers but because of the chasse test he might not graduate I dont like that new law.

The exam seems to target immigrants, mentally disabled and kids from lower income families. It is a very discriminatory policy. I am an immigrant and I go to college. I see lot of disabled students at my school. Before CASHEE, mentally disabled students had a chance to finish high school and continue to University. Because of CASHEE they cannot conitnue their education.

For immigrants, whether they speak english fluent or not, they can go to China Town, Korea Town Fillino town and find a job. Because of CASHEE, they would not be able to get diploma and further any form of higher paying job.

Success in life is really not about math and english. I guess some managerial group in the government is profiting from this law.

What if the student was sick that day? Does she or he have to wait one more year to pass the exam and continue to college or University? It just does not make sense to me. We should ban this law.

It's really very simple; my CSMGT gave me an invaluable
piece of information that very neatly spells it all out;
I give it here, and now, for illumination on why school systems across America now actively discriminate against their ESL/low-income students:

Follow The Money Trail.

Schools that implement exit exams get Fed funding,(a la
No Child Left Behind, another cow pattycake delivered by your friends and mine, the Bush Admin.) Those schools that don't implement the exams don't get Federal funding. So poor students get nailed with what is basically a completely useless test which accurately measures nothing and, in its implementation, steps on poor/minority/ESL students, yet again. In California,
the really irritating part is that, for all intents
and purposes, the high school diploma is a joke.
A sad, tasteless, useless piece of the past that should
be relgated to the dustbin of history, along with the dodo, and passenger pigeon. A high school diploma prepares a student for nothing; not even jr. college,
which, if a student goes to jr college after NOT getting
a diploma in high school, that student could go on to recieving their higher degrees, like B.A., or even a Ph.D.. The true learning that benefits a student in life
can't be measured by an "exit exam", for the simple reason that a test is not the best way to measure knowledge/mastery of a subject. Taking a test just makes you good at taking tests. Sometimes, the tests speak more to the mindset of the institution/entity
enforcing the test (Jaime Escalante, or let's go back even further..The Golden 12, anyone?)and the inherent racism in the tests/testers themselves.
In Calif., why else would the District, with so many other districts in disarray/bankruptcy/under state control, cling to another "test" in order to graduate students who meet all other criteria?

Follow The Money. . .Follow the Money. . .

If we are going to require students to take an exit exam in order to graduate from High School then this test needs to be administered in elementary and middle school. I am employeed at an high school and most of fundamentals students are lacking should have been learned in elementary and middle school. If we are going to make sure no child gets left behind then we need to start testing early.

i am amy and I am a student of sequoia in sofmard and yesterday and today I was taking the california exit examination and i am learning english and for my is difficult the test of english, but algebra is eassy.

att: amy

i fuck this law and fuck that people who made it

me tinks sanjiv very very angry man

me tinks sanjiv very very angry man

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