High school students must pass exit examination to graduate
Tenth graders at Gilroy High School hunkered down today to tackle the standardized test that determines if they will graduate as part of the Class of 2010.
Every GHS sophomore spent about four hours today completing the Enlgish/language arts section of the California High School Exit Examination, including a writing sample. Tomorrow, they move on to math.
Sophomores who pass during this round of testing don’t have to take the CAHSEE again, said GHS Assistant Principal Stefani Garino. However, students that don’t pass on their first attempt are given two more opportunities as juniors and three more as seniors to earn their diploma. Seniors still trying to make the grade in time for June graduation tested again today as well. Upwards of 700 students will be testing today and tomorrow, Garino said.
If seniors don’t pass any of the tests, their graduation will be contingent upon the completion of summer school. The results are expected back by mid May, Garino said, after the state scores and returns the tests.
A perfect score adds up to 900 points, 450 on the math section and 450 on the language arts section. Last year, 14 sophomores achieved a perfect score and Garino said GHS is considering building incentive programs, like a pizza party or publication of a perfect scorer’s name in the school newsletter, into this year’s test taking. Typically 60 to 70 percent of sophomores pass the CAHSEE on the first round, she said.
“Quite a number of kids don’t pass by a very small margin,” she said. Teachers have armed their students with practice tests and in-class warm-ups that mimic what the students were up against today and will face tomorrow to boost performance. They will be confronted with geometry, fractions, decimals and algebra questions tomorrow.
Last year, 76 percent of GHS tenth graders passed the math portion and 73 percent passed language arts, slightly lower than the countywide pass rates of 84 and 82 percent for math and language arts, respectively and similar to the statewide results of 76 and 77 percent.
Sample questions
1. Round 907.457 to the nearest tens place
908.0
910
907.5
900
907.46
2. Find 0.12/1
12
1.2
.12
.012
.0012
3. If r=5z and 15z=3y, then r= ?
y
2y
5y
10y
