High School Exit Exam's Cancellation Leaves College-Bound Students In Limbo
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — As many as 5,000 college-bound students statewide are in "bureaucratic limbo" because they did not pass the California High School Exit Exam, which was canceled this past July.
State Superintendent Tom Torlakson has called on the University of California and California State University systems and the Association of Independent California Colleges and Universities to ask for their assistance in helping students who are being denied entrance into college solely because they have not passed the state high school exit exam.
"No student's dream of a college education should be delayed because of an anomaly," Torlakson said in a statement. "That's why I am working closely with college administrators and the Legislature to remedy the situation and help these students stay on track for college."
The California High School Exit Exam, which is offered to students as early as their sophomore year, has been a requirement for high school graduation since at least 2006. Last year, roughly 5,000 students took the math portion and 5,800 took the language portion, with about 1,200 passing both tests, state Department of Education spokeswoman Pam Slater said.
But with the state's adoption of Common Core standards in 2010, the exam no longer reflects the new state academic standards being taught in public schools.
The California Department of Education has been working with the Legislature to pass legislation to suspend the exit exam requirement for the next three years so students can receive their diplomas without passing the exit exam. With legislation progressing, the $11 million-a-year contract to administer the test was not renewed, so the July exam was not offered as in past years, Slater said.
Because a majority of students take the exam for the first time in their sophomore year, and pass it the first time, according to Slater, it's not clear how many students enrolling for 2015-16 college classes have been affected.
University of California spokeswoman Dianne Klein said that none of its campuses have reported any cancellations for not having taken the exam, and that any UC admitted student affected by this situation will not be cancelled for the fall solely because they were unable to complete the exit exam.
"We haven't encountered any student who's missing that particular requirement, the exit exam," UCLA spokesman Ricardo Vazquez said. "And by now, virtually all our incoming students for next year have submitted their transcripts."
CSU and University of Southern California admissions officials say the California High School Exit Exam is not considered in their admission processes.
Senate President pro Tempore Kevin de Leon, D-Los Angeles, and Assembly Speaker Toni Atkins, D-San Diego, said they are working to help the 5,000 California students who were not given a chance to take the exam in July.
"The Legislature is well aware of the problem facing many California students who are unable to attend college or are unable to work or join the military because they were not able to re-take the High School Exit Exam," the statement said. "We intend to solve this issue as quickly as possible by proposing urgency legislation for these displaced students. These students are stuck in a bureaucratic limbo through no fault of their own and we are committed to helping them move forward."
The exam brouhaha also caught the attention of Attorney General Kamala Harris, who is running for the U.S. Senate.
"As the result of a thoughtless bureaucratic blunder, thousands of high school graduates face the prospect of not being able to enroll in college, serve their country through the military, or pursue other professional goals. This oversight creates real and immediate harm for these students," Harris said in a statement. "I look forward to working with our state leaders to fix this injustice immediately and ensure our students are given the opportunity to pursue their educational and professional dreams."