Judges have 90 days to rule

[George Sheridan <learn@jps.net>]

This report from Political Pulse's Education Beat (a newsletter covering 
the nexus of California Education and Politics) has several tidbits that 
have not been widely reported  regarding the exit exam and lawsuit.

Education Beat July 8, 006

Exit exam results are in; more than 40,000 miss the mark for graduation

The state Department of Education announced in
late July that 40,713 high school seniors missed
graduation this year because they were unable to
pass both sections of the state high school exam.
State officials said that the number represents about 5
percent of all seniors in the class of 2006 who had satisfied
all other graduation requirements except for the test.
This is the first year that the state has enforced the
exit-exam requirement.

Students have six opportunities to pass the test between
sophomore and senior years.State Schools superintendent
Jack O?Connell ?who authored the legislation creating
the exam in 1999 when he was a state senator ?said there
is no limitation on any student who wants to continue to
try to pass the test and earn a diploma.

?I urge these students to continue to work in summer
school,take a fifth year of high school,or study in adult
school or community college to acquire those important
skills in English and math,?O?Connell told the San Fran-
cisco Chronicle.

In the budget signed by the governor last month,
funding was included for two more testings of the Class
of 2006.

The Oakland Unified School District gave the test in
March instead of May and gave students who failed two free
courses at Laney College,one to get ready for the exit exam
and the second that would count for college credit.

The test is still facing an ongoing legal challenge in
a class-action lawsuit heard July 25 in the state Court of
Appeal in San Francisco.The lawsuit contends that the
exam is unconstitutional.The judges have 90 days to rule
in the case, but indicated at the hearing that they will
expedite a ruling.

In May, a superior court Judge in Alameda ruled to
stop the requirement of the exit exam but had the ruling
overturned by the state Supreme Court.




George Sheridan
Northside School
Cool, California 95614