Hollister
– Thirty-one San Benito High School seniors failed the exit exam
before graduation – an increase from last year when 28 students did
not pass.
Hollister – Thirty-one San Benito High School seniors failed the exit exam before graduation – an increase from last year when 28 students did not pass.
Administrators at the high school are concerned about the students who have not yet passed the exam. The high school is working on intervention methods to help those students pass in the future and improving the programs at the high school so more students pass the test in 10th grade, when it is first given.
“We’re always troubled when any of our students are not able to meet graduation requirements,” Director of Educational Services Cindy Cordova said.
She added that many of the students who failed the exam also were credit deficient.
The California High School Exit Exam is a requirement for high school graduation in California, so those 31 students will need to pass the exam before they can receive a diploma.
A majority of the students are currently enrolled in summer school courses, Cordova said. For the students to continue taking the exam, they must be enrolled in a preparation course. For those who do not take the summer school courses, exit exam courses are offered at Gavilan College.
The exam last was given to seniors in March, when two additional students passed. The remaining students can take the test again in July.
Another 20 seniors who qualify as special education students need to pass the exam. Of the 53 total students, 23 need to pass both the math and English, 19 need to pass the math and 11 need to pass the English only.
Cordova said the high school was working not only on helping the seniors who did not pass the exit exam, but also on better preparing students from the time they enter high school.
“We’re looking at ways to improve not only our interventions for the (exit exam), but also to improve our core curriculum so that our students are prepared from the 10th grade,” Cordova said. “We need to have a two-pronged approach.”
This year, 80 percent of San Benito High School 10th-graders passed the English section of the exit exam and 71 percent passed the math section. Last year, 78 percent passed the English section and same percentage passed the math section.
Cordova said the decrease in the math scores concerns district officials. They are working on improving the math program at the countywide level so students are prepared from the elementary and middle school level.
“We’re looking at math development programs that help students, especially with algebra,” she said.
Alice Joy covers education for the Free Lance. She can be reached at 831-637-5566 ext. 336 or at aj**@fr***********.com.
