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The scores
for the Winter 2002 Golden State Exams have been released, and once
again there are more than 3,800 students who have earned academic distinction
and brought honor to themselves and their community. Congratulations
go to the Santa Barbara County students who received 1,573 merit rankings
on the Golden State Exams in five subject areas.
The rigorous annual state tests were crafted as an incentive and recognition
program for students, and they are a credit to individual student achievement
in economics, math, government/civics, written competition, and reading/literature.
By participating in the Golden State Exams, many students are working
toward eligibility to receive the Golden State Seal Merit Diploma. It
recognizes high school graduates who attain high honors, honors, or
recognition on six Golden State Exams during their school careers. To
date, more than 22,460 Golden State Diplomas have been awarded. So far
this year, an additional 1,722 seniors have qualified for the 2002 Golden
State Diploma statewide.
Different schools and districts have varying policies regarding which
students take the tests. Some invite all students in a given course
to try the exam, and others ask only their high achievers to do so.
For this reason, school by school and district by district comparisons
simply do not apply.
Countywide in this last round of testing, more than 41 percent of all
students who took all the exams earned one of the three merit recognitions.
Students taking the reading/literature exam scored the best on this
round of tests, with 48 percent earning a merit ranking — 404 out
of the 838 students who took the test. Students taking the written composition
exam also fared well, with 675 receiving merit rankings out of 1,475
who took the exam, for 46 percent.
Of the 475 students who took the exam in government/civics, 192 —
40 percent of them — earned recognition. In economics, 164 of the
461 students who took the test earned recognition. The lowest performance
area was math. But even in that area, 138 of the 600 students who took
the exam earned merit rankings.
These are very rigorous exams, and the students who performed well on
them should be extremely proud of their achievements. We often talk
about the increased pressures on students: peer pressure to experiment
with drugs and mature relationships; worries about violence and safety;
an advertising and entertainment industry that stresses instant gratification;
restricted resources at the school site that often translates into fewer
counselors and larger class sizes; different family shapes, sizes, and
situations; just to name a few of the changing and sometimes difficult
situations confronting young people. This year national and international
tragedies and terrorism have added to the anxiety and stress felt by
Americans of all ages.
In the face of these pressures, high academic achievements on 1,573
exams is no small feat, and I am certain I join parents, teachers, neighbors,
and friends in extending hearty congratulations to those who accomplished
these successes.
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