SACRAMENTO — State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell today released the following statement regarding the Alameda County Superior Court ruling that dismissed the case of Californians for Justice Education Fund v. the State Board of Education and Jack O'Connell:

"Today's ruling allows us to focus our legal efforts on appealing the larger issue of whether the California High School Exit Exam should be maintained as a cornerstone of California's school accountability system. While I am pleased the judge denied the writ and dismissed the petition in this case, I remain concerned about the disruption to school districts and the mixed message sent to students as a result of last week's ruling in Valenzuela v. O'Connell. At my direction, our attorneys are hard at work preparing an appeal of that ruling."