As graduation day marches ever closer, some students at Live Oak
High School are still wondering if they’ll get to do some marching
of their own.
As graduation day marches ever closer, some students at Live Oak High School are still wondering if they’ll get to do some marching of their own.
They’re the seniors who have taken care of every aspect of their academic careers save for one of the now most important – passing the California High School Exit Exam – and the district still hasn’t decided how to handle them. February marked the final chance for seniors who hadn’t passed the test to do so before graduation day. The unfortunate students still lacking a passing score, about 50 at last count, will have one final chance to pass the dreaded test they’ve taken since they were sophomores.
The problem is results from that test won’t be available by the time students strut across the stage to collect their diplomas in June. Now the district must decide if they’ll let these students participate in the ceremonies knowing they may have failed the test or prohibit all of them from attending even though some probably earned it.
Students have the excuse of youth in their Exit Exam troubles, but district trustees have no luxury in delaying a decision on what to do with these kids.
By not passing policy before the February testing date, the district has left numerous students and their families in limbo. Had students known February was their last chance to pass in time to participate in graduation, it may have encouraged them or their parents to pull out all the stops, surrender their weekends and the hit the books with a vengeance for the second to last chance to pass the test.
Now, at least for this year, the district will have to choose between the lesser of evils between letting kids who didn’t earn degrees walk during graduation or potentially keeping those who deserve it away.
We hope the district takes a hard-line approach in setting this precedent similar to the exam itself and doesn’t allow any student who hasn’t passed the test by graduation day, to graduate. Trustees should make their decision as simple as the exam’s principle: Nobody gets a diploma without first passing the test – no exceptions.
