October 26, 2006
Schools Chief jack O'Connell Announces Final Exit
Exam Results for the Class of 2006 Senior Year
SANTA MONICA — State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell today announced at Santa Monica High School that an additional 819 students in the Class of 2006 passed the California High School Exit Exam (CAHSEE) administered in July, the last time the test was offered during the Class of 2006's traditional senior year.
"I am tremendously proud of these students for their hard work and persistence, and congratulate them for reaching this important milestone," O'Connell said. "Their hard work has made them more literate, better problem solvers, and more effective communicators. These are skills demanded by today's challenging world. Now, with the traditional senior year of high school behind the Class of 2006, I think we can say that the Exit Exam is working as it was intended."
At the news conference, O'Connell presented a high school diploma to Jeffrey Ramirez, one of the students who passed the Exit Exam in July. Jeffrey, who was a Santa Monica High senior last school year, had met all of the other graduation requirements but had struggled to pass the Exit Exam. He described how his teachers worked with him to master the skills measured by the Exam. Jeffrey currently attends Santa Monica Community College and hopes to become a high school counselor.
The Class of 2006 was the first graduating class required to pass the Exit Exam as a condition of graduation. Ninety-one point four percent have met the Exit Exam requirement by passing both the math and English-language arts (ELA) portion of the test. However, passage rates among African American students, Latino students, economically disadvantaged students, and those learning the English language are significantly lower.
"With each administration of the Exit Exam, more students succeeded in mastering the critically essential skills in English and math that they must have to survive and thrive after high school," O'Connell said. "While I am so proud of the students who have met this challenge, the results also continue to reflect the disturbing achievement gap that must be addressed. I'm convinced that the exam has actually helped poor and minority students by focusing extra attention on those students lacking the skills to pass the exam. If students are allowed to graduate without necessary skills, we all fail them."
O'Connell urged students in the Class of 2006 who have not yet passed the Exit Exam not to give up on their education and encouraged them to attend community college, adult school, or continue as a senior for another year. He also urged districts and schools to continue to reach out to students in the Class of 2006 who still need to complete the CAHSEE requirement and help those students find an appropriate educational venue to continue their studies.
Table 1
Estimated Total Meeting the CAHSEE Requirement in Each
Administration of CAHSEE through July 2006
Subgroup |
Grade 10 |
Grade 11 |
Fall 2005 Admin. |
February 2006 Admin. |
March 2006 Admin. |
May 2006 Admin. |
Updated 2005-06 Admin. Through May 2006 |
July 2006 Admin. |
Total Passed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
All Students |
295,226 |
67,810 |
19,933 |
6,931 |
4,542 |
1,759 |
3,143 |
819 |
400,163 |
Females |
150,818 |
32,268 |
9,475 |
3,444 |
2,579 |
1,031 |
1,436 |
354 |
201,405 |
Males |
144,356 |
35,430 |
10,401 |
3,481 |
1,961 |
762 |
1,668 |
251 |
198,310 |
Asian |
34,709 |
4,583 |
1,383 |
515 |
253 |
223 |
121 |
23 |
41,810 |
Hispanic |
92,362 |
33,249 |
10,292 |
4,653 |
2,833 |
328 |
1,511 |
398 |
145,626 |
African American |
16,891 |
6,893 |
2,236 |
1,014 |
706 |
77 |
371 |
103 |
28,291 |
White, Non-Hispanic |
133,650 |
18,921 |
4,786 |
537 |
550 |
851 |
919 |
56 |
160,270 |
Economically Disadvantaged |
88,918 |
32,524 |
9,702 |
4,573 |
2,847 |
323 |
1,162 |
412 |
140,461 |
English Learner |
24,783 |
17,032 |
5,996 |
3,191 |
1,920 |
666 |
263 |
286 |
54,137 |
Special Education |
7,993 |
6,675 |
-- |
-- |
-- |
-- |
-- |
-- |
14,668 |
Table 2
Estimated Number and Percentage of Students in the Class of 2006
Meeting the CAHSEE Requirement through July 2006
Group |
Grade 10 |
Grade 11 |
Grade 12 |
Total Passed |
Not Yet Passed |
Estimated Enrollment |
Grade 10 |
Grade 11 |
Grade 12 |
Total Passed |
Change Gd. 10-12 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
All Students |
295,226 |
67,810 |
37,127 |
400,163 |
37,755 |
437,918 |
67.4% |
15.5% |
8.5% |
91.4% |
24.0% |
Females |
150,818 |
32,268 |
18,319 |
201,405 |
17,990 |
219,395 |
68.7% |
14.7% |
8.3% |
91.8% |
23.1% |
Males |
144,356 |
35,430 |
18,524 |
198,310 |
20,095 |
218,405 |
66.1% |
16.2% |
8.5% |
90.8% |
24.7% |
Asian |
34,709 |
4,583 |
2,518 |
41,810 |
2,058 |
43,868 |
79.1% |
10.4% |
5.7% |
95.3% |
16.2% |
Hispanic |
92,362 |
33,249 |
20,015 |
145,626 |
24,238 |
169,864 |
54.4% |
19.6% |
11.8% |
85.7% |
31.4% |
African American |
16,891 |
6,893 |
4,507 |
28,291 |
5,369 |
33,660 |
50.2% |
20.5% |
13.4% |
84.1% |
33.9% |
White, non-Hispanic |
133,650 |
18,921 |
7,699 |
160,270 |
4,351 |
164,621 |
81.2% |
11.5% |
4.7% |
97.4% |
16.2% |
Economically Disadvantaged |
88,918 |
32,524 |
19,019 |
140,461 |
22,890 |
163,351 |
54.4% |
19.9% |
11.6% |
86.0% |
31.6% |
English Learner |
24,783 |
17,032 |
12,322 |
54,137 |
16,703 |
70,840 |
35.0% |
24.0% |
17.4% |
76.4% |
41.4% |
Table 3
Estimated Number and Percentage of Students in the Class of 2006
Passing the CAHSEE ELA Section through July 2006
Group |
Grade 10 |
Grade 11 |
Grade 12 |
Total Passed |
Not Yet Passed |
Estimated Enrollment |
Grade 10 |
Grade 11 |
Grade 12 |
Total Passed |
Change Gd. 10-12 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
All Students |
334,712 |
48,987 |
29,386 |
413,085 |
24,833 |
437,918 |
76.4% |
11.2% |
6.7% |
94.3% |
17.9% |
Females |
173,969 |
21,615 |
13,347 |
208,931 |
10,464 |
219,395 |
79.3% |
9.9% |
6.1% |
95.2% |
15.9% |
Males |
160,733 |
27,220 |
15,797 |
203,750 |
14,655 |
218,405 |
73.6% |
12.5% |
7.2% |
93.3% |
19.7% |
Asian |
35,817 |
3,983 |
2,300 |
42,100 |
1,768 |
43,868 |
81.6% |
9.1% |
5.2% |
96.0% |
14.4% |
Hispanic |
112,719 |
24,525 |
15,917 |
153,161 |
16,703 |
169,864 |
66.4% |
14.4% |
9.4% |
90.2% |
23.8% |
African American |
22,409 |
4,781 |
3,468 |
30,658 |
3,002 |
33,660 |
66.6% |
14.2% |
10.3% |
91.1% |
24.5% |
White, non-Hispanic |
144,083 |
12,442 |
5,767 |
162,292 |
2,329 |
164,621 |
87.5% |
7.6% |
3.5% |
98.6% |
11.1% |
Economically Disadvantaged |
108,305 |
23,849 |
15,255 |
147,409 |
15,942 |
163,351 |
66.3% |
14.6% |
9.3% |
90.2% |
23.9% |
English Learner |
31,817 |
14,880 |
10,799 |
57,496 |
13,344 |
70,840 |
44.9% |
21.0% |
15.2% |
81.2% |
36.3% |
Table 4
Estimated Number and Percentage of Students in the Class of 2006
Passing the CAHSEE Mathematics Section through July 2006
Group |
Grade 10 |
Grade 11 |
Grade 12 |
Total Passed |
Not Yet Passed |
Estimated Enrollment |
Grade 10 |
Grade 11 |
Grade 12 |
Total Passed |
Change Gd. 10-12 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
All Students |
329,661 |
50,534 |
30,817 |
411,012 |
26,906 |
437,918 |
75.3% |
11.5% |
7.0% |
93.9% |
18.6% |
Females |
163,630 |
26,410 |
15,700 |
205,740 |
13,655 |
219,395 |
74.6% |
12.0% |
7.2% |
93.8% |
19.2% |
Males |
165,647 |
24,355 |
14,851 |
204,853 |
13,552 |
218,405 |
75.8% |
11.2% |
6.8% |
93.8% |
18.0% |
Asian |
38,542 |
2,824 |
1,682 |
43,048 |
820 |
43,868 |
87.9% |
6.4% |
3.8% |
98.1% |
10.2% |
Hispanic |
111,588 |
24,947 |
16,410 |
152,945 |
16,919 |
169,864 |
65.7% |
14.7% |
9.7% |
90.0% |
24.3% |
African American |
19,352 |
5,696 |
4,053 |
29,101 |
4,559 |
33,660 |
57.5% |
16.9% |
12.0% |
86.5% |
29.0% |
White, non-Hispanic |
140,771 |
13,938 |
6,549 |
161,258 |
3,363 |
164,621 |
85.5% |
8.5% |
4.0% |
98.0% |
12.5% |
Economically Disadvantaged |
109,237 |
23,436 |
14,985 |
147,658 |
15,693 |
163,351 |
66.9% |
14.3% |
9.2% |
90.4% |
23.5% |
English Learner |
39,855 |
11,951 |
9,163 |
60,969 |
9,871 |
70,840 |
56.3% |
16.9% |
12.9% |
86.1% |
29.8% |
For more information about CAHSEE, please visit California High School Exit Examination (CAHSEE) - Hot Topics.
