Beginning with the class of 2006*, public high school students must pass the California High School Exit Exam (CAHSEE) in order to graduate. The exam tests students in English language arts and math. The English language arts section tests state standards for grades 9 and 10 and includes one writing exercise. The math section covers standards for grades 6 and 7 and Algebra I.

Students first take the exam in the spring of their sophomore year, but they have multiple chances to pass the test before graduation. A student who passes one section of the test does not take that section again. The 10th grade results are used to help determine whether high schools have made adequate yearly progress (AYP) under the federal No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB).

The chart below—which is based on data from EdSource's 2009 Resource Cards on California Schools—shows the breakdowns by ethnicity and gender for the class of 2008.

Note: Special Education students in the classes of 2006 and 2007 who met certain requirements did not have to take the CAHSEE to graduate. However, students with disabilities in the class of 2008 have to pass CAHSEE to graduate, though they must be allowed to take it with any accommodations (such as large-sized print) or modifications (such as the use of a calculator) specified for testing in their individualized education programs (IEPs) or Section 504 plans.

Data: Independent Evaluation of the CAHSEE: 2008 Evaluation Report by Human Resources Research Organization (HumRRO). Passage rates are determined by dividing the students in each class who passed the CAHSEE in grades 10, 11, and 12 by those same students plus those who are still attempting to pass the CAHSEE in grade 12. The results are estimates.

EdSource 6/09