Hollister
– San Benito County seniors who have yet to pass the California
High School Exit Exam will still be allowed to walk in their
commencement ceremonies this year, local educators determined last
week.
Hollister – San Benito County seniors who have yet to pass the California High School Exit Exam will still be allowed to walk in their commencement ceremonies this year, local educators determined last week.
The 26 seniors at the school who have yet to pass one or both portions of the CAHSEE in order to graduate still have one more chance to take the exams May 9 and 10. However, as the tests take up to 10 weeks for the state department of education to grade, it is more than likely that local school districts will not have the results before students graduate in June.
Both the San Benito High School District and the San Benito County Office of Education, which oversees the community’s alternative high school programs, unanimously decided last week to permit students whose graduation status is in limbo to walk this spring and receive a certificate of completion. A certificate of completion states that a student satisfactorily completed all of his or her course work and credit requirements for the district, but is not equivalent to a diploma.
“We felt that it was important that our students have an opportunity to participate in their graduation ceremonies,” said SBHS Superintendent Jean Burns Slater. “Because last year they would have been able to, and this year we’re going to tell them no just because of a test?… I think an exit exam is important and is valid, but I also believe there should be alternatives available.”
Results from the most recent bout of testing in February were made available this month, and of the 77 SBHS students who took the last exam, 49 still need to pass. However, 23 students in that group are special education students and are exempt from passing the exam for another year, and only 8 students need to pass both the math and English portions of the exam.
” I’m glad the administration made the decision they did, I wouldn’t have it any other way,” said ASB Spokesperson Vanessa Buelna. “Otherwise you might have a lot of students and their parents who would be very upset.”
Every senior at Anzar High School has passed the Exit Exam in time to receive a diploma this June, save one special education student who is exempt this year. Officials from the County Office of Education were not available to disclose pass rates for continuation school students.
San Andreas High School will also be holding a smaller ceremony later in the summer for students who do pass the May round of testing, so they can officially swap their certificate of completion for a high school diploma.
“For all we know they will have passed the exam and it would be wrong not to let them walk if their other requirements are completed,” said Mike Sanchez, San Andreas Principal. “Testing is only one day in the life of that kid, and his work deserves to be recognized.”
The local CAHSEE policy is far more lenient than that in some neighboring school district. Both Gilroy High School and Mount Madonna School will not award certificates of completion or allow students to walk in graduation ceremonies if they do not pass the exams, the two district unanimously decided in February.
Students who do not pass the exam in May will have one more chance this July if they take remediation classes over the summer. The state hopes to offer more testing dates during the 2006-2007 school year, as well as some Saturday dates, if the money is there to fund them.
SBHS’ graduation ceremony will be held June 10, and San Andreas will hold their ceremony June 8 at the Vet’s Memorial Hall.
“Any student who has completed the required course work will participate in our commencement ceremonies,” said County Superintendent of Schools Tim Foley. “It’s literally the commencement of the rest of their lives and they sure deserve it.”
Danielle Smith covers education for the Free Lance. Reach her at 637-5566, ext. 336.
