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Court blocks state school-exit exam
A court order on Friday would allow some 47,000 students to graduate in 2006 even though they have not passed California's high-school exit exam.
Ten students and their parents had sued, alleging that the test discriminated against low-income students and those for whom English is a second language which they are still learning.
The class of 2006 would have been the first that would have been denied a diploma for failing the exit exam. Around 47,000 students, more than 10 percent of the total, still have not done so.
Alameda Superior Court Judge Robert Freedman noted the "potentially devastating effects" of being denied a diploma, and said that as a result of "system wide disparities as to 'opportunities to learn' the material tested, the Court concludes that an injunction that may result in a windfall benefit to some is preferable to the alternative of no relief for those who are truly victims of a system which, although it shows signs of recovery, is still unwell."
State education officials said they would appeal and seek an immediate stay of the ruling. Graduations in some school districts are scheduled next week, but it was unclear how they would be affected by the uncertain situation.
Freedman specified that the injunction would not halt testing or remove the exit exam from application to future graduating classes.
"Under today's ruling students lose," said Jim Lanich, president of California Business for Education Excellence. "While it may seem harsh to prevent students from graduating if they've met all the requirements except for passing the (exit exam), giving them a false sense that they are ready to enter the workforce or college prepared for those challenges is a much worse punishment. It doesn't help students to award them a high school diploma if they graduate without fully comprehending basic reading and math skills.
"The fact that four of the ten students who originally brought this suit have now passed the exam shows the exit exam is having the desired effect," Lanich said in a prepared statement. "Students are rising to meet the challenge. Those who are finding it more difficult, such as the students who originally brought the suit, are getting the help they need to pass."
A court order on Friday would allow some 47,000 students to graduate in 2006 even though they have not passed California's high-school exit exam.
Ten students and their parents had sued, alleging that the test discriminated against low-income students and those for whom English is a second language which they are still learning.
The class of 2006 would have been the first that would have been denied a diploma for failing the exit exam. Around 47,000 students, more than 10 percent of the total, still have not done so.
Alameda Superior Court Judge Robert Freedman noted the "potentially devastating effects" of being denied a diploma, and said that as a result of "system wide disparities as to 'opportunities to learn' the material tested, the Court concludes that an injunction that may result in a windfall benefit to some is preferable to the alternative of no relief for those who are truly victims of a system which, although it shows signs of recovery, is still unwell."
State education officials said they would appeal and seek an immediate stay of the ruling. Graduations in some school districts are scheduled next week, but it was unclear how they would be affected by the uncertain situation.
Freedman specified that the injunction would not halt testing or remove the exit exam from application to future graduating classes.
"Under today's ruling students lose," said Jim Lanich, president of California Business for Education Excellence. "While it may seem harsh to prevent students from graduating if they've met all the requirements except for passing the (exit exam), giving them a false sense that they are ready to enter the workforce or college prepared for those challenges is a much worse punishment. It doesn't help students to award them a high school diploma if they graduate without fully comprehending basic reading and math skills.
"The fact that four of the ten students who originally brought this suit have now passed the exam shows the exit exam is having the desired effect," Lanich said in a prepared statement. "Students are rising to meet the challenge. Those who are finding it more difficult, such as the students who originally brought the suit, are getting the help they need to pass."
. You should take up excelling again as the primary goal instead of average joe. Because average joe is fat, lazy and freaking stupid.
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