This year for the first time, seniors at Anzar, San Benito and
high schools throughout the state must pass the California High
School Exit Exam in order to receive a diploma, but about 150
seniors at SBHS still haven’t passed the test.
Hollister – This year for the first time, seniors at Anzar, San Benito and high schools throughout the state must pass the California High School Exit Exam in order to receive a diploma, but about 150 seniors at SBHS still haven’t passed the test.
At San Benito High School 163 seniors, about 25 percent, still need to pass the math exam and 138, about 21 percent, still need to pass the language exam. More than 30 percent of students in both categories receive special education services.
The California Department of Education has not released the number of students who have either passed or failed both exams.
At Anzar, five of the 65 members of the class of 2006 have to pass the language arts exam and fewer than 10 need to pass the math exam. However, 87 percent of Anzar’s class of 2007 have passed the language arts exam and 89 percent have passed the math exam.
Those passing rates are much higher than the statewide averages of 76 percent on language arts and 74 percent on math.
Anzar Principal Charlene McKowen said she was pleased by the results, but doesn’t know how much better they can get next year.
“It would be awesome if (the passage rate) was higher, but we’ll be happy if it stays the same,” McKowen said.
McKowen credits the high percentages to teachers working together, standards-based curriculum, well-sequenced courses and “thoughtful” test preparation.
San Benito High School Superintendent Jean Burns Slater said SBHS passage rates were comparable to statewide figures.
“(The results) point out that we have a responsibility to educate our students,” Slater said. “We all have a challenge.”
Superintendent Slater was especially concerned about performance gaps between different demographics. Passage rates for Latino students were significantly lower than other groups on both tests, which is something district officials have been paying particular attention to, Board of Trustees President Shelley Donati said.
“It’s something that we have been monitoring very carefully,” Donati said. “We’re working hard to make sure all students are prepared for the exam.”
SBHS district implemented several changes designed to help students pass the exit exams over the last two years, Superintendent Slater said. The school required students who have not passed both exit exams to take summer school classes this year in the specific areas in which they struggled.
District officials also changed the class schedule this year in order to give students a seventh class period. Students have not yet passed both exit exams are required to take seven classes, while other students may opt out.
After a year of focused research, Slater and other district officials implemented several new programs aimed at improving the academic performance of male Latino students, including a case study and mentor program and a program designed to increase teachers awareness of students’ backgrounds. It is hoped increased awareness will enable better communication and understanding between teachers and students, Slater said.
Although they still have three more opportunities to pass the tests before graduation next May, seniors who don’t pass both tests will not graduate or receive a diploma – even if they have completed all of the required course work.
In addition, they may have to wait several months for another opportunity to take the test. In June, SBHS Board of Trustees members discussed the possibility of providing students who failed to pass the exit exams, but completed all required course work with a certificate of completion. However, no plans have been made for such certificates, Superintendent Slater said.
In the end, actual learning is more important than test results, Donati said.
“It’s not just about this exam, this is about life skills,” she said. “We have an obligation to our students to make sure they have the opportunity to learn those skills.”
Brett Rowland covers education for the Free Lance. He can be reached at 831-637-5566 ext. 330 or [email protected].
