State officials met Thursday morning here to discuss the
California High School Exit Exam and to look at alternatives to
measure if a student is ready to earn a high school diploma.
Sacramento – State officials met Thursday morning here to discuss the California High School Exit Exam and to look at alternatives to measure if a student is ready to earn a high school diploma.
The class of 2006 will be the first group of students required to pass the CAHSEE in order to graduate.
State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O’Connell, has asked his staff to study options for the 100,000 students who still need to pass the exam.
During Thursday’s hearing, officials listened to options but didn’t make any announcements. They should come to a decision in January, said John Affeldt, managing attorney for Public Advocates, a public interest law firm, founded in 1971 to address the underlying causes of poverty and discrimination and to strengthen the voices of minorities, immigrants and the poor through public policy.
“The news was that they had the hearing and for the first time were considering alternatives,” said Affeldt.
Public Advocates unsuccessfully sponsored legislation in 2004 that would have aligned California’s testing policies with other states that have supplemented the exit exam with other assessments of proficiency.
