Santa Monica State Assembly member sponsors education bill
SACRAMENTO California high school students could earn their diplomas without passing an exit exam under legislation approved by the state Assembly earlier this week.
The measure, sponsored by Assembly member Julia Brownley (D-Santa Monica), would require the state to develop alternative methods of measuring academic competence for students unable to pass the California High School Exit Exam (CAHSEE), which continues to be a source of contention in the education community.
Critics of the exit exam claim that it forces more kids — particularly those who learn English as a second language, the disabled and minority students — to drop out of high school; consumes valuable instructional time and money; creates a disincentive for higher-achieving students to continue to work hard once they have passed the exam; and forces teachers to abandoned more creative lesson plans in favor of teaching test content.
Supporters of the exam, such as Jack O’Connell, the superintendent of public instruction for the California Department of Education, said the exit exam is the only true measure of whether or not students are prepared to enter the workforce or move on to college.
O’Connell and his supporters claim bills like Brownley’s are attempts to water down academic standards.
“The high school exit exam has been successful in holding local schools accountable to students and parents,” said Assembly Education Committee Vice Chair Martin Garrick (R-Carlsbad). “Lawmakers should be inspiring students to live up to their potential and achieve their dreams, not giving them an easy way out from the high school exit exam.”
Brownley, who served as president of the Santa Monica- Malibu Unified school board before being elected to the Assembly last year,said if AB 1379 passes,students could be provided with a richer academic experience by easing pressures to narrow instruction to topics likely to appear on the exit exam.
The bill was approved on a party-line vote, 44-26, with Republicans opposed.
AB 1379 now goes to the State Senate.The measure is similar to legislation vetoed in 2005 by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger. competency in reading, writing and arithmetic. Students must pass the exam in order to receive a diploma.
The test consists of two parts — English language arts (ELA) and math. Students are tested at a 10th grade level.
The ELA portion consists of multiple-choice questions as well as a writing task in which students are asked to write on a specific topic or in response to a literary or informational passage. The reading section covers vocabulary, informational reading, and literary reading. This section includes 50 percent literary texts and 50 percent informational texts. The writing section covers writing strategies, applications, and conventions.
The math portion includes statistics, data analysis and probability, number sense, measurement and geometry, algebra and functions, mathematical reasoning, and Algebra I. Students must demonstrate computational skills and a foundation in arithmetic, including working with decimals, fractions, and percentages. The math part of the exam is composed entirely of multiple-choice questions.
Students first take the test in the 10th grade. Those who fail have up to two opportunities to retake the test in the 11th grade, and up to three opportunities their senior year. Students having difficulties are eligible for assistance through their school, including tutoring.
Students with disabilities can qualify for an exemption or waiver.
The class of 2006 was the first to be required to pass the exam in order to receive a diploma.
In July 2003, the state Board of Education postponed the requirement to pass the exam from 2004 until 2006 because of the results of an independent study, funded by the state, which found that although the exam had greatly improved the coverage of state standards in schools, instruction — particularly in math — had not been effective for all students, especially those who had not had the benefit of standards-based education before entering high school.
In Santa Monica-Malibu, passing the exit exam isn’t a problem for an overwhelming majority of students. The passing rate for 10th graders taking the test for the first time was 91 percent this year, and only a handful of students in local high schools have yet to pass both portions. They have taken the test recently and are awaiting their results, said Maureen Bradford, director of educational services for the district.
Superintendent O’Connell said he has “never been convinced” that there are alternative measures to accurately reflect a student’s understanding of the curriculum and is strongly opposed to any attempt at reducing the standards.
In defense, Brownley said the bill is not an attempt to weaken or get rid of the exit exam, but instead give students another avenue for expressing their understanding of the material. That could include presenting portfolios of work or oral exams in front of a panel of teachers.
All kids learn differently and, therefore, express themselves differently as well, Brownley said.
“When you are getting a doctorate degree you defend your dissertation,” Brownley said,“you don’t just fill in bubbles.”
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on June 8, 2007. Read the original PDF.