Seniors who don’t pass this week’s exam won’t graduate; total of
70 Mt. Madonna students, including 19 seniors, took the test
Gilroy – It’s their last chance.
Last chance to don the cap and gown this June.
Last chance to join their peers at graduation.
Who wouldn’t assume that this week’s administration of the California High School Exit Exam elicited quite a bit of stress, butterfly-filled tummies, cold sweats?
But that’s not the way it was for the Mt. Madonna High School seniors profiled for this series. The students said they actually entered the classroom Tuesday and Wednesday more positive, less insecure.
“I felt more confident than before,” said Saul “Sal” Cardoza, who still needs to pass the math portion. “This time I most likely passed it.”
When he previously marked in answers on the CAHSEE, the 18-year-old said he wasn’t sure which ones were right or wrong. This time he knew which ones were correct and he took a much longer time to finish because he knew what he was doing.
And Maria Garcia, who took the English section for the first time this week and the math for the second, echoed Cardoza’s confidence.
“Well, I think I did really good on the essay and the rest of it, I only guessed on two parts,” Garcia said “I’m not really worried about the English. I really took my time on it. I really, really tried. I have a good feeling.”
But Janeth Palomera isn’t so sure. The 18-year-old emigrated from Mexico six years ago and still struggles with her English. She already passed the math portion but continues to get snagged on the essay.
She hopes she passed, Palomera said with obvious sincerity. She attended the intervention classes and took advantage of the individual tutors, but she’s not so sure of her success.
Garcia’s certitude wanes when math is brought up. She tried, she explained, but she still ended up guessing on some of the questions.
A total of 70 Mt. Madonna students, including 19 seniors, took the CAHSEE Tuesday and Wednesday. There were only about four absences, “which is a pretty good ratio for these kids here,” Principal Sergio Montenegro said. At Gilroy High School, 73 seniors still need to pass the CAHSEE.
But the high ratio wasn’t the result of wishful thinking and pep talks. Mt. Madonna staffers made sure it happened.
“We went and actually picked up kids from their home,” Montenegro said. “We actually went and pulled kids out of bed. Some of these kids, I could see fear in their eyes. Sometimes when life stares at you really hard in the face you want to run away and some of these kids wanted to run away.”
But that fear subsided afterward and the reactions of many students equated those of Cardoza, Garcia and Palomera. Janet Lopez was unavailable for comment.
“The feeling of most students after they finished taking the test was they felt more prepared this time around and more optimistic about passing the test this time around than before,” Montenegro said.
The continuation school principal said there was a different tone in the room, that he could “hear their brains working.” And like Cardoza, most of the students took the entire school day to finish the test. One student even stayed past 3pm to complete it.
Cardoza, Garcia and Palomera all agreed that the intervention classes and the one-on-one tutoring from teachers and local volunteers, definitely made a difference. California seniors graduating this year are the first class required to pass the CAHSEE in order to receive a high school diploma.
Students take the exam, which tests their reading, writing and math skills at the eighth grade level, for the first time as sophomores. Another CAHSEE will be administered in May, and the district may stage a summer graduation for those who pass the Spring exam.
Montenegro said students entered the classrooms with more confidence this time around because staff continually reminded them of the impending deadline and they subsequently worked diligently.
“Everything’s built on a sense of urgency,” he said. “If you don’t create a sense of urgency you lose them.”
Editor’s Note
This is part of an ongoing series highlighting Mt. Madonna High School seniors as they struggle to pass the CAHSEE. Only one of the five seniors profiled has passed the high stakes exam.
Saul Cardoza
Past scores
– English: 356 (pass)
– Math: 320
November score:
– Math: 340
Maria Garcia
Past scores
– ELA: took for first time this week
November score:
– Math: 337
Janet Lopez
November scores
– Math: 338
– ELA: 339
Janeth Palomera
Past scores
– Math: 328 (pass)
– ELA: 328
November scores
– ELA: 339
Valerie Zamaripa:
° Passed test first time she took it in November
