District prepares for new exit exam

Danette Goulet

NEWPORT-MESA -- Students currently in the eighth grade will be the first

high school class required to pass a new state-mandated exit exam.

The new test will be piloted in September by students in the class of

2004, who will have to pass the test by their senior year in order to

graduate.

The tests in place are minimal proficiency tests, whereas the new exams

will be based on higher standards, said Peggy Anatol, director of

curriculum and assessment for Newport-Mesa Unified School District.

“Before, it was adding, subtracting, multiplying and dividing,” Anatol

said. “Now it will be algebra, geometry, statistics and probability based

on the California standards. Now it’s a higher bar.”

The exit exam, which is in the process of being written by a 52-member

team of teachers, professors and business people, will contain a language

arts and a mathematics section, Anatol said.

The exam is the result of Senate Bill 2 authored by Sen. Jack O’Connell

(D-San Luis Obispo), which called for education accountability and a high

school exit examination. After sailing through the Legislature, the bill

was signed by Gov. Gray Davis on March 29. The purpose of the legislation

was to make the schools and students accountable for achieving the

rigorous state standards.

The Legislature found that local proficiency standards were at varying

levels, often set below a high school level and were not consistent with

state standards as set by the state Department of Education.

Beginning in the 2000-2001 school year, students in the ninth grade will

be given the opportunity to take the exam. During the following school

year, students in the 10th grade must take the exam and may continue to

take it each year until they pass each section.

As future students enter the ninth grade, they will be able to take the

exam each year in order to pass all the sections as they learn the

subject matter, Anatol said.

Once the new test has been completed and presented to schools throughout

the state, the district intends to recommend the current test no longer

be given, said Supt. Robert Barbot.

By 2004, any student who has not passed the high school exit exam will

not receive a diploma.

But Anatol said she believes there should be some room to adapt the tests

to students with special needs.

“There will have to be some form of default clause for students found to

be highly proficient, but who can’t pass the test,” she said.

Although high schools are not yet feeling the crunch of the new exam,

several have already made changes to align the curriculum with state

standards.

Before worrying about the increased difficulty of the new tests, Corona

del Mar High School officials are waiting to see how it compares to

existing tests.

“I’m not overly concerned yet,” said Principal Don Martin. “When it

becomes a reality, then we’ll take a look at matching what we’re doing

with what they are giving.”

He added that students are, for the most part, not aware of what is

coming.