When June 8 finally arrives for Morgan Hill Unified School
District high school seniors, the overwhelming majority will be
participating in commencement ceremonies at Live Oak, Sobrato and
Central Continuation high schools because they have passed the
California High School Exit Exam (CAHSEE).
Morgan Hill – When June 8 finally arrives for Morgan Hill Unified School District high school seniors, the overwhelming majority will be participating in commencement ceremonies at Live Oak, Sobrato and Central Continuation high schools because they have passed the California High School Exit Exam (CAHSEE).
According to Pat Blanar, director of curriculum and assessment for the district, 541 seniors or 90 percent of the 602 members of the Class of 2007 have passed both sections of the CAHSEE.
There are 61 students that, after the December testing, had not passed one or both sections of the exam. Of those students, 49 are English learners and/or special education and 12 are English speaking regular education students.
“We are still waiting for results from the February administration of the exam and from the one this month,” Blanar said. “I think we’re just looking forward to seeing what the results of the February and March administration bring us. We did not have the numbers testing in December that we thought we might have.”
Sobrato High School Principal Rich Knapp said he is “hopeful” the remaining students will have succeeded in either the February or March testing.
“I am pleased with where we are, but I do have some concerns over the English language learner students and special ed students,” he said. “We really focused on those students this fall through some support classes we have, and I’m hopeful those students are going to be successful. But as a district, we are way above the state average.”
Students first have the opportunity to take the test as sophomores. If they don’t pass both the math and the English/language arts sections the first time around, they have two opportunities to take the exam section they didn’t pass again as juniors. There are three opportunities in the senior year.
If a student does not pass both sections before graduation, they are not eligible for a high school diploma and cannot participate in the graduation ceremony.
Special education students, according to the California Education Code, may participate in graduation ceremonies if they do not pass both portions of CAHSEE. They receive a certificate of completion rather than a diploma. If they have completed all other graduation requirements, the district Board of Education may issue a waiver so they may receive a diploma.
Blanar said something else to remember about the students who, as of the December exams, had not passed both sections is that 26 of them entered MHUSD in high school, and 10 of those entered the district as seniors.
“That’s important, because at that point, we’re doing catch up with these students,” she said. “We haven’t had the opportunity to prepare them.” The CAHSEE is designed to test for state academic content standards in English-language Arts through grade 10 and math through Algebra I. Questions for both parts of the CAHSEE are in a multiple-choice format with two written essays also required for the English-language arts section.
Senate Bill 2 of 1999 was signed into state law requiring that all students in California public schools pass the CAHSEE to receive a high school diploma, beginning with the class of 2006. Students also must meet the individual district’s requirements for graduation.
