A settlement has been reached in a lawsuit regarding the California High School Exit Exam. The issue dealt with the question of what to do with students who had failed the exam but had completed their senior year of high school.
“I am delighted that a tentative agreement has been reached that is in the best interest of California students,” said Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O’Connell. “Final agreement to this proposed settlement will put to rest this challenge, leaving the exit exam in place. Most importantly, it will ensure that students in the class of 2006 and beyond will continue to get the assistance they need to learn the critical skills measured on the CAHSEE.”
ACSA members are well aware that O’Connell has been a strong proponent of the exit exam, having authored the bill that created it.
However, attorneys representing students from the classes of 2006 and 2007 argued that not granting these students diplomas was ill-serving them.
The settlement includes a compromise acceptable to both sides in offering to educate students who have completed their 12th grade year but have not yet passed both portions of the CAHSEE for two additional years.
The lawsuit had created some uncertainty for educators. Initially, plaintiffs received a favorable ruling in court, and the exit exam was tossed. But this ruling was overturned by the state Supreme Court and the exam was reinstated.
The settlement calls for the costs of educating this group of students to come from existing CAHSEE preparation funding. The terms of the settlement are spelled out in Assembly Bill 347, which, if approved by the Legislature and signed by the governor, will become effective immediately.
“I have always said that failure to pass the CAHSEE means only that a student’s education is not complete,” O’Connell said. “It’s important that our state continue to offer students the assistance they need in high school and beyond. The goal of the exit exam is to ensure that all students are prepared with the skills and knowledge they need to succeed in the workplace or higher education.
AB 347 can be accessed at www.leginfo.ca.gov.