News that so many of our high school seniors passed the controversial California High School Exit Exam this school year could be easily celebrated until one takes the time to really think about the knowledge, or should we say the lack of knowledge, required to pass the test.
A total of 32 seniors - including 10 English-language learners, 13 special education students, and six who are both English language learners and special education students - failed the exam. That means 95 percent of seniors passed the test, or 597 out of 629 students graduating from Live Oak and Sobrato high schools.
CAHSEE only tests eighth-grade level math and tenth-grade level English
The CAHSEE is a two-part exam that tests eighth-grade level math and tenth-grade level English. The legislature created the test to help state high schools have a uniform graduation requirement and gave them a minimum standard that assures our society graduating seniors have at least some level of competency in reading, writing and mathematics.
Students have been taking the test since 2006. Those who take the test in 10th grade, but fail it have at least six additional opportunities to pass one or both sections, including two in 11th grade and three in 12th grade.
Why set the bar so low for our students?
The state board of education should have aimed higher. They should have made the test more rigorous. The test, as it stands, allows a passing rate of 60 percent in the English language-arts section and 55 percent in math. The state has set mediocre standards for our students. The test requires moderate abilities in these subjects.
And that's the problem in our society in general. Education is being dumbed down with so-called "standardization." We need to aim for excellence not mediocrity, which is where this test is focused.
We also worry about educators improving their teaching to the test techniques, further dumbing down the system. They focus instruction on at-risk students, helping them achieve the minimum passing percentage to graduate. These students eventually enter our workforce and lack the necessary skills to read, write and do simple math.
While some have objected to the test because they consider it unfair arguing that not all students should be held to the same standard because many don't have the same learning opportunities, we oppose it because it makes average in such critical subjects. The test should be more challenging.
If seniors can't pass eighth-grade math and tenth-grade English than that means our schools aren't doing a good job at teaching them these basic skills. We need to focus on what is preventing students from passing the test. Local education officials should consider it a warning that six regular education students were among the 32 seniors who failed the exit exam this year.
We should require more of our students. We should be testing 12th-grade English and math or higher. We should be focusing of helping students excel in college and have an advantage when taking such courses at the college level.
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