CAHSEE

  Anywhere High School (AHS) CAHSEE Program

by

Jeri Stickney Phillips

 Introduction

The State of California has mandated that all high school students must pass the California High School Exit Exam (CAHSEE) in order to get a diploma at graduation. This mandate was intended to increase the validity of a high school diploma; however, the CAHSEE has been a barrier for some populations of students. For instance, some Special Education students struggled to pass the CAHSEE and were awarded a certificate of completion instead. A Special Education student received a certificate of completion if he or she “satisfactorily completed a prescribed alternative course of study … identified in his or her individualized education program” (Transition to adult living: An information and resource guide, 2007). This meant if a Special Education student completed all high school credits, he or she participated in all graduation activities; however, these students did not receive a diploma. Unfortunately, lack of a diploma may have precluded these students from many possible employment options such as a military career, or entry into higher education opportunities.

Approximately twenty-five percent of the tenth grade students at Anywhere High School (AHS) did not pass the CAHSEE on their first time. This was about 100 students. Almost all Special Education students in Special Day Classes (SDC) did not pass. In addition, several Resource students in Special Education also did not pass, and some general education students did not pass, including English language learner (EL) students. Further, by the time these tenth grade students reached the point of graduation as seniors, there were still approximately 8% of students who did not passed one or both sections of the CAHSEE. Only two students who did not pass were not Special Education students.

References

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