SACRAMENTO — State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell issued the following statement after today's California Court of Appeal hearing in the California High School Exit Exam case, Jack O'Connell, et al v. Superior Court of Alameda County.

"Today's hearing was an important step in our ongoing effort to preserve the California High School Exit Exam as a condition of graduation.

"I was very impressed with the Court's depth of knowledge about the important issues in the case. The justices asked many probing and insightful questions, following up on many of the issues that were raised in the brief submitted to the court by my attorneys.

"I believe the California High School Exit Exam is fundamentally about ensuring that students who graduate from high school have at least the minimal level of skills and knowledge that they will need to be successful in the competitive global economy of the 21st century. I was encouraged by Presiding Justice Ignazio Ruvolo's comment that ‘we are talking about education, not diplomas.'

"As thousands of students across the state are taking a new summer administration of the California High School Exit Exam today, I remain cautiously optimistic that the constitutionality of the exam will be upheld.

"I'm particularly proud of the students in the class of 2006 who have struggled with the exam, but continued to study this summer and take the exam again. They clearly will benefit because this exam measures skills every student must have in order to survive in today's challenging world. Whether they go on to college or begin a career, in order to succeed, our students must become excellent communicators, problem solvers and analytical thinkers. We do our students no favors at all by allowing them to graduate without requiring them to master these essential skills.

"I look forward to the Court's decision, which the justices said they intend to issue on an expedited basis."