The Board of Trustees’ decision to hand out
”
certificates of completion
”
to SBHS seniors who fail to pass the California High School Exit
Exam will not have the effect the board intended. The argument:
Seniors who fail the CAHSEE exam still have to pass all their
classes in order to receive a certificate of completion which will
allow these students to walk with their class.
Editor,
The Board of Trustees’ decision to hand out “certificates of completion” to SBHS seniors who fail to pass the California High School Exit Exam will not have the effect the board intended. The argument: Seniors who fail the CAHSEE exam still have to pass all their classes in order to receive a certificate of completion which will allow these students to walk with their class. Graduation, as we all know, is one of the most important and anticipated days of a student’s career. Should these students who fail to comply with state standards be granted the opportunity to walk with the rest of their class?
I am a senior at SBHS and passed the exam with flying colors. I was insulted with how easy the exam was. It consisted of questions I felt a middle school student could answer successfully. Basically, the exam is a test of basic skills that graduating seniors should have acquired throughout their high school careers. The certificate of completion provides an easy way out for students who simply do not want to take the exam. Furthermore, how is it expected for students who cannot pass the exam to keep passing grades? The logic behind this decision is beyond me. I do not want to be walking alongside someone who slacked off and accepted the certificate when I worked hard for hours on end to receive my diploma. I thought the school was supposed to help us challenge ourselves academically and prepare us for our future. Lowering standards to comply with unmotivated students is not the way to accomplish this.
Stephanie Oerman, SBHS Senior, hollister
