Beginning with the class of 2006, public high school students must pass the California High School Exit Exam (CAHSEE) 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—based on data found in EdSource’s 2010 Resource Cards on California Education—shows the breakdowns by gender, ethnicity, and economic, English learner, and disability status.

 

Note: In response to a lawsuit and changes in state policy, California has set up alternative criteria to passing the CAHSEE that Special Education students in the classes of 2006 through 2009 can meet so they can receive a diploma. However, some students, because of age or other issues, may not be able to meet the criteria.

Data: California High School Exit Examination (CAHSEE) Summary of 2008–09 Results, California Department of Education (CDE), 9/2/09, and Independent Evaluation of CAHSEE: 2008 and 2009 Evaluation Reports, Human Resources Research Organization (HumRRO). Results are estimates.

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