Exit Exam News Facts About The California High School Exit Exam Spring 2002 California High School Exit Exam Results Released Facts About The California High School Exit Exam State law (Senate Bill 2X), passed in 1999, authorized the development of the California High School Exit Examination (CAHSEE) that students in California public schools will have to pass to receive a high school diploma, beginning with the graduating class of 2004. The purpose of the CAHSEE is to help ensure that students who graduate from high school can demonstrate competency in state content standards for reading, writing and mathematics. Assembly Bill (A.B.) 1609, signed by the governor in October 2001, requires a study to examine whether the test development process and the implementation of standards-based instruction meet the required standards for a high-stakes test. The final report of this study is due by May 1, 2003, to delay the date upon which each pupil completing grade 12 is required to successfully pass the CAHSEE. The board is to use the results of the study as the basis for its decision. Student Participation Beginning with the 2000-2001 scool year, districts are required to send notification about the CAHSEE to parents/guardians of grade 9 students at the beginning of the first semester or quarter of the regular school term and each year thereafter. The CAHSEE consists of two parts: mathematics and English-language arts. The passing score for the mathematics portion of the exam is 55% or a scale score of 350. The passing score for the English-language arts portion of the exam is 60% or a scale score of 350. In Spring 2002, all tenth-grade students (class of 2004) were required to take the CAHSEE, except for those students who previously took and passed both parts. The pass rates for the Spring 2002 administrations will be available in late September. Students may be given seven additional opportunities to retake the exam. Only the part(s) not passed must be taken again. Schools must provide supplemental instruction to students who do not pass the CAHSEE. Students who are English learners are required to take the CAHSEE in grade 10 with all students. These students must complete six months of instruction in reading, writing and comprehension in English during the first 24 months of enrollment in the California school system. They are required to take the CAHSEE during this time. All students must pass the CAHSEE in English to receive their high school diploma. Students with special needs must pass the CAHSEE to receive their high school diploma. The CAHSEE must be administered with accommodations and/or modifications specified in the student's Individualized Education Program (IEP) or Section 504 plan for classroom or statewide testing. Students who take the test using a modification will receive an invalidated test score. However, if the invalidated test score is the equivalent to a passing score (e.g. 350 or higher), the district may submit a waiver request on behalf of the student to waive the requirement of successful passage of one or both parts of the CAHSEE to receive a diploma. Test Content and Format The English-language arts part of the CAHSEE addresses state content standards through grade 10. The exam consists of multipl-choice questions and writing tasks. The reading portion covers vocabulary, decoding, informational reading, and literary reading. The writing portion covers writing strategies, applications, and conventions (e.g. spelling, grammar, punctuation). The exam also has a written response to literature or an informational passage and another written response to a writing prompt. The mathematics part of the CAHSEE addresses state content standards in grades 6 and 7 as well as algebra I. It includes statistics, data analysis and probability, number sense (including computation), measurement and geometry, mathematical reasoning and algebra. Students also must demonstrate a strong foundation in arithmetic, including working with decimals, fractions, and percents. The math exam consists of all multiple-choice questions. Reporting/Using Results When districts receive individual student CAHSEE reports, they are to distribute these reports to parents/guardians. CDE will post group-level results annually on the Internet. Districts must provide supplemental instruction aligned to the state content standards to assist students who do not pass the exam. This may apply to the seniors who do not pass. Spring 2002 California High School Exit Exam Results Released Combined results of the CAHSEE administrations in the spring 2002 and spring 2001 administrations show that approximately 48 percent of students scheduled to graduate in 2004 have passed both parts of the CAHSEE. An estimated 64 percent have passed the English-language arts part, and 52 percent have passed the mathematics part. “Unless the State Board of Education exercises its option to change the dates for high-stakes accountability, these students will be members of the first graduating class required to pass this test as a condition for receiving their high school diplomas,” said Eastin. “They are the pioneers who are paving the way for future graduating classes.” Senate Bill 2 of 1999 was signed into state law to require that all students in California public schools pass the CAHSEE to receive a high school diploma, beginning with the class of 2004. The exam addresses the state academic content standards in English-language arts through grade 10 and mathematics through Algebra I. Questions for both parts of the CAHSEE are in a multiple-choice format; two written essays also are required for the English-language arts portion. In the combined spring 2002 administrations, approximately 182,515 tenth graders took the English-language arts part of the CAHSEE and 54 percent passed. Of the approximately 248,328 tenth graders who took the mathematics part, 32 percent passed. Students taking the CAHSEE were in one of two categories: they either had not taken the CAHSEE voluntarily as ninth graders, or they had taken it but did not pass one or both parts. “Although a large percentage of our students perform at or above state goals delineated by rigorous academic content standards, today’s results show there still are many students who need more assistance to meet the CAHSEE requirement,” Eastin said. “More students appear to be mastering the English-language arts standards than those for mathematics. The lower passing rate for mathematics points to the need for additional remedial work focused on the mathematics content standards,” she said. “Keep in mind, it’s been only one year since Algebra I has been required to graduate from high school. Some students in the tenth grade have not yet taken the course.” The California Department of Education (CDE) continues to provide a variety of resources to assist local preparation activities. These include teacher guides, released CAHSEE questions from prior test administrations, training materials, and workshops. Failure to pass the CAHSEE in tenth grade does not mean a student will not graduate from high school. Students who do not pass the CAHSEE in tenth grade have seven additional opportunities to retake the exam. Only the part(s) not passed must be taken again. In addition, school districts are required by law to provide supplemental instruction aligned to state academic content standards for students who do not pass the exam. A 2002 survey of school principals by the CAHSEE’s independent evaluator found that local preparation efforts for the CAHSEE have increased. A large percentage of the respondents noted that their districts have adopted state academic content standards and purchased textbooks and other supplemental materials that are aligned with those standards. “Although the CAHSEE requires all students to achieve a state-established level of academic performance, it does not seem to be affecting the state’s dropout rate,” Eastin noted. “Students so far are choosing to stay in school and meet the challenge.” A complete listing of CAHSEE results for both 2002 spring administrations by school, district, county, and state are available at . For additional information, please contact the CDE’s CAHSEE Office at 916/445-9449. Note: Documents provided in Portable Document Format (PDF) require Adobe Acrobat Reader Attachment 1 (PDF) - Class of 2004 Estimated Overall Cumulative Passing Rates for the CAHSEE, March 2001 through May 2002 Attachment 2 (PDF) - Estimated Cumulative Passing Rates for the English-Language Arts and Mathematics portions of the CAHSEE, March 2001 through May 2002 Attachment 3 (PDF) - Class of 2004 Estimated CAHSEE 2001 & 2002 Results for English Language Arts (ELA) Attachment 4 (PDF) - Class of 2004 Estimated CAHSEE 2001 & 2002 Results for Mathematics