(San Francisco Chronicle) “The final tally of high school seniors who failed the statewide exit exam is in: 40,173 students — more than half of whom would have otherwise graduated this year — did not pass the test, the state Department of Education announced Friday. Passing the exit exam was a graduation requirement for the first time this spring, causing anguish for students who had satisfied all other graduation requirements except the test of basic math and English skills. Based on a poll of the state’s largest districts, an estimated 5 percent of all 2006 seniors ultimately did not graduate solely because they couldn’t pass the exam, state officials said.”
“Hispanic and African American students were more likely to fail than their white and Asian counterparts. Through May, 97 percent of white students and 95 percent of Asian students had passed, compared with 85 percent of Hispanic students and 83 percent of African Americans.”
TheStateOf . . . Exit Exams. I (Justin) have a cousin that completed her curriculum requirements, but failed the math portion of the State Exit Exam. Initially, I thought the exit exam was unfair, but after seeing how my family has pulled together to finally take in interest in my cousin’s education, my view has changed. If she can’t do basic math and english, there is a major problem, and giving her a fake diploma would not have helped it. Instead, we have all worked together to tutor and encourage her. She takes the math portion again next month.
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