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From the Desk of Bill Cirone...
August 13, 1999
Exit Exam Heralds New Era of Achievement for Student
What should a high school student know and be able to demonstrate before receiving a high school diploma?
This simple question guides the work of California's High School Exit Exam Panel, which I was proud to join at its first meeting last week.
Our work is in the very preliminary stages, but I'd like to report on the issues we are considering and seek input from the Santa Barbara County community as I continue to represent their interests in this very important area.
As background, recent state law authored by Senator Jack O'Connell mandated an exit exam that would be required of all students for high school graduation. The test will be offered to ninth graders starting in the 2000-2001 school year, and will be required for graduation by seniors in the class of 2004. The goal is to support high standards and greater accountability statewide. A high school exit exam also provides the higher education and business communities with solid expectations of what a high school graduate should know and be able to do.
There are several important areas to consider as we craft what we hope will herald a new era of achievement for our students. The exam, which will focus on language arts and math, will have to be aligned to state frameworks and classroom curriculum. This means simply that the exam must test what is being taught.
Also, the law requires that students receive results of the exam within eight weeks of taking it. This places some constraints on format possibilities.
It is the panel's goal to find a true balance between a test that supports high standards and accountability while remaining sensitive to the impact on low-achieving students and poor test-takers. We want to set the bar high enough that the test is meaningful and represents a significant accomplishment. But we are also sensitive to the fact that our nation is proud of its comprehensive high schools that serve children of all ability levels.
The panel is also sensitive to the issue of over-testing and the worry among some students that this will be "still another test." The test will not replace state-mandated proficiency exams in reading, writing, and mathematics that are currently given in all high schools as a requirement for graduation, nor will it replace the STAR tests at the high school level. That is why the panel acknowledges the need to advocate for statewide test alignment. But that is a separate issue from the responsibility to craft this test in a meaningful and appropriate manner.
The panel will be reviewing the state's language and math frameworks carefully to set standards high. The test will be criteria-referenced, which means that all students answering a certain percentage of questions correctly will pass it. Their scores will not be rated against the performance of others. If you show you know the material, you pass.
The panel is also attempting to identify as many unanticipated consequences as possible. A concern was raised about students who are able to pass the exam in 10th grade, and whether they might not work as hard in their subsequent coursework. It will have to be made clear to students that passing this exam will not in itself earn a high school diploma. Students will still have to meet district course and grade point requirements.
We also want to learn from efforts in other states. Currently, 20 states use high school exit or competency exams. Many began to use exit exams in the late 1970s. Previous to that time, local school districts established their own requirements for graduation within broad state guidelines.
In most of the 20 states that require exit exams, students must pass the test to receive their diploma. However, some states, like Michigan, do not deny a diploma to students who fail the test -- these students receive a basic diploma while those who pass the test receive an augmented diploma.
States also vary in the timing of the initial administration of the exams. Some give their tests for the first time as early as the seventh or eighth grade. Most, however, give the tests for the first time in either the 10th or 11th grade. The timing has implications for remediation and other interventions designed to help students who do not pass on the first attempt.
All of the states allow students to retake the test multiple times. Some even extend the opportunity after the date of graduation. In Georgia, for example, students are allowed unlimited opportunities to retake the test and receive a regular diploma upon passing the exam.
In court tests of exit exams, three standards were set that tests must meet to pass constitutional muster:
The test must measure knowledge and skills that are taught in the state's schools
Students must receive adequate notice of the test, its requirements, and the consequences of failing it.
The test must not intentionally discriminate against a protected group or class.
The main questions the panel must address are those that have been faced nationwide:
What knowledge and skills are essential and what level of learning is sufficient?
How can states prevent the minimum level of knowledge and skills, as measured on the assessment, from becoming the maximum level?
What will happen to students who do not pass the test?
The last question is of primary concern. Several states with exit exams give funds to local school districts to help students in danger of not receiving a diploma because of exit exam failure. Many states support remediation through special funding designed for that purpose. Tutoring and extended learning time are the most common forms of help.
The high school exit exam provides California with a unique opportunity to spell out what a high school diploma means and what students have learned. Though there are challenges to work out as we craft a meaningful test, I am convinced that these efforts will result in higher performance for all students.
I believe it will provide the motivation and the means for students to demonstrate that they are accountable for their high school careers. By holding them to high standards it will show students that their efforts are rewarded and that their accomplishments are something they can be very proud of. As a community, we will all be able to share the pride in the achievement of our students as they graduate from high school, with the knowledge that they have met high standards.
I welcome input and insights from all members of the Santa Barbara County community as we embark in this new direction for our students.
© Santa Barbara County Education Office
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