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S.F.'s class of ’08 struggles with exam
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The incoming senior class of 2008 is faring slightly worse on the exit exam than the class of 2007.
SAN FRANCISCO (Map, News) - Nearly one-fourth of the incoming senior class within the San Francisco Unified School District has failed the state graduation exam, a standardized test that public school students are required to pass to receive a diploma.
More than half of the incoming seniors who are English-language learners or black still need to pass the exam, according to data released Thursday by the district.
Students first take the high-stakes exam in their sophomore year. If they fail, they have six more opportunities to pass before graduation.
The required test is made up of two parts: A math portion, which tests to an eighth-grade level, and an English-language arts section, which tests to a 10th-grade level.
The class of 2006 was the first group required to pass the California High School Exit Exam — in order to receive a diploma.
The incoming senior class is faring slightly worse on the exit exam than the class of 2007 did by junior year, according to the district. By 11th grade, nearly 80 percent of the class of 2007 had passed both portions of the exam.
According to the district, 977 students of the class of 2008 have failed to pass either both or one portion of the exam.
“The exit exam is a minimum competency exam,” said state Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O’Connell said Thursday. “These results shine a bright light on how much work we still have to do.”
The students who have yet to pass the exam are integrated into a districtwide intervention program, where core classes are supplemented with before- and after-school programs, as well as some offered during the summer, according to district spokeswoman Gentle Blythe. The incoming seniors will have three more chances to pass the test during the upcoming year.
Supplemental classes have helped some students pass the test since sophomore year. As 10th-graders, 76 percent of the incoming senior class passed the math portion of the exam at first testing, while 74 percent passed the English portion. The students fared slightly better in math than students statewide, 75 percent of whom passed, and worse than the 77 percent of students who passed the English section of the exam on the first try.
“It’s just basic stuff, so you shouldn’t be able to graduate if you can’t pass it,” said Daniel Szeto, who will start his senior year at Lincoln High School on Monday and passed the exam as a sophomore. “But, for non-English-speaking students, it could be really difficult.”
Some students, however, are harsh critics of the exam.
“You should be able to pass it, but it’s kind of a waste of time,” said Preston Lau, an incoming Lincoln High School senior. “How are you going to judge people on one test?”
Seniors’ success
How San Francisco’s class of 2007 performed on the California High School Exit Exam:
3,530: Seniors who took the exit exam
3,318: Seniors who passed the exit exam by June 2007
212: Seniors who did not pass the exit exam
566: Seniors who passed the exit exam but did not have the credits to graduate
106: Seniors who did not pass the exit exam and did not have the credits to graduate
- Source: San Francisco Unified School District
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8:33 PM MST on Sat., Aug. 25, 2007 re: "S.F.'s class of ’08 struggles with exam"
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Examiner Reader2 said:
It's good to see that the people commenting here aren't fooled by the B.S. . The standards are down because of what's taught and the type of people who attend the school. I attended SF high school in the 90's. It was a terrible place to get an education except seeing history first hand the decline of american society. A friend of mine, about a decade older, told me how the school we went to was much better when he attended. It was mostly white, american born and this coming from a foreing born latino person himself. Catering to non-american people and ways only creates division not "diversity".
133 agree | 86 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
I would like to see a sample test. This test has been in the news for a few years now, and I still have no idea what's on it. How many of us adults do? Maybe we would agree that a young person who fails it does not deserve an HS diploma, or maybe not. Not to disregard the statements of Jack O'Connell and one student, but shouldn't we be given more information than that? Examiner, do your job!
116 agree | 87 disagree
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Interested Examiner Reader said:
The Public School System has been sinking since the Civil Rights Act (1965). This new present law established by the State by promoting a graduating requirement exam is the only improvement made towards California's Public School System. I'm a product of the Public School System - BUT prior to 1965. California USED to have one of the best Public School Systems (Grammar and High School) in the United States. In my time as a Public School Student; if a Public School Student had low or below average grades, they had repeat the year over again. I have five children and all have graduated from Private/Parochial Schools and attended U.C. or other Public Universities. Apparently, California's Public Colleges and Universities were not entirely subject to the Civil Rights Act of 1965 or again, do not appear to have been influenced by petty politics.
135 agree | 91 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
99% of private school and parochial school kids would pass because those schools actually teach academics, not fads. Teachers there usually have a Master's in their subject...and that does NOT mean a Master's in "Education". Go look at the cirriculum in private and parochial schools. Look at the level of course work being done. These schools have discipline and order, while so many of the publik skuuls are chaotic and thuggish urban "youth". Vouchers. Vouchers. Vouchers. The rest is commentary.
114 agree | 90 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
I wonder how many private and parochial school seniors would pass? We'll never know as public schools must bare all yet non-public schools can operate with results behind closed doors. SF public schools have made great gains in recent years. Public and -and is working hard - to improve. Carlos Garcia has his work cut out for him - but seems to have the experience and guts to call out what needs to be done (i.e. FOCUS ON KIDS AND ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT, getting rid of the Board of Educations 'flavor of the month' focus, too many schools open for smaller enrollment, and dealing with decrepit systems.)
111 agree | 116 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
Very disheartening to understand how such a thriving city can allow for such a decline. Shame on those responsible for dropping the ball....Shame!
141 agree | 102 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
People are suprised by this! Hey, where is all the money from the California Lottery????? It is supposed to go to the school! San Francisco can't even provide basic city services, like um clean streets, a decent transit system and crappy schools. This will continue as the city gets richer and the rich send their kids to private schools and public schools continue to decline until the point that they close, disgusting. This City is a mess.
82 agree | 106 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
until absent mayor newsome is removed this will go on
116 agree | 85 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
No, I'm so shocked. Apparently the testing doesn't reflect what the Kids are being taught , especially in the most liberal, dumbed-down state of CA..... Most important Subjects seem to be.... diversity training, multiculturalism, Darwinist "theory", Sex & birth control-abortion instructions, life-boat & relativity training, how to be a Muslim, and love thy Gay as thyself. It seems that reading writing & arithmetic have become the "Electives". No wonder Americans are getting more stupid, while many Third World countris, who are also out trading us, are getting way ahead of the US in many ways.... Partly thanks to the unconstitutional our federal US Dept of Education and the NEA= Liberal Teachers Union.
139 agree | 99 disagree
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Truth to power-less said:
"English learner" is the status of the 2-5 year old set in a country whose primary language is English. These "English Learning" failures may have been better served attending school in a country where their language (Spanish, invariably) is the primary language. As for Blacks, in their culture supidity is success!
135 agree | 100 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
Any suburban school, even those in South San Francisco or San Bruno are way better than San Francisco schools.
163 agree | 154 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
Hell, look who is running the schools.......The Feds!! No wonder children are not doing good in school because the public schools are just a political machine. Keep them stupid and when they grow up (if ever) they will have to rely on their "big brother". Sickening!
140 agree | 90 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
I wonder what Chris Daly is doing about this? NOTHING!!!!!!
98 agree | 119 disagree
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