CAHSEE pass rates continue to rise
95 percent of all seniors now meet exit exam requirement
Published: August 29, 2012
More students than ever—71 percent—are passing the California High School Exit Examination on their first try as 10th graders, 7 percent more than when the tests of math and English proficiency were first required for graduation in 2006.
Overall, 95 percent of students in the class of 2012 met the CAHSEE requirement by the end of their senior year, as did 82 percent of English learners and 56 percent of students with disabilities, according to preliminary results released Aug. 22.
The 2011-12 school year was the sixth year students were required to pass the exams to earn a diploma. Students have multiple opportunities to pass each part of the exam.
“When 95 percent of California students are hitting the mark—despite the tremendous challenges we face and the work we still have to do—there’s an awful lot going right in our public schools,” said state Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson.
The results also show a narrowing of the achievement gap; white students’ pass rates increased 3.1 percent between 2006 and 2012, while black students saw a 10.6 percent increase, and Hispanic students a 15.6 percent improvement. For the class of 21012, that includes 98.6 percent of whites having passed, 91.9 percent of blacks and 93.1 percent of Hispanics.
Torlakson nevertheless expressed concern about continued improvement.
“We have made solid improvement, but schools and districts are facing some unprecedented challenges right now,” he said. “Overcrowded classrooms, shorter school years, and fewer teachers are in store for us unless we stop the cuts to education funding and begin restoring some of what has been cut in recent years.”
The CAHSEE is an important indicator of which students are not developing the skills they will need to be successful after high school. Local educational agencies can use the results as part of their strategies to provide the attention and resources students need before graduation.
To assist LEAs as they inform the public about their CAHSEE results, the California Department of Education offers a packet of resources which includes an overview of the exam program, description of the various reports available on the Internet, instructions for accessing reports online, and a guide for how to use the results to promote student success. “Explaining and Using 2011–12 CAHSEE Summary Results” offers steps for keeping governing boards informed about the district’s program in case any new policies, policy modifications, and/or funding are necessary.
Search CAHSEE results by school, district, county and state on the DataQuest portal on the CDE website.