California lawmakers OK exit exam exemption bill for class of 2015

Gov. Brown expected to sign

The state Senate on Monday, Aug. 24, approved a measure that would allow about 5,000 California high school students that fulfilled graduation requirements this year but did not pass the exit exam to obtain their diplomas.

In a 37-0 vote, the California Senate advanced SB725, following the Assembly’s 77-1 approval last week. The bill now heads to California Gov. Jerry Brown, who is expected to sign it into law.

The emergency legislation comes after California education officials cancelled the summer exam this year, having decided it did not align with the new curriculum based on Common Core standards. As a result, students were left with no way of taking the test.

“Students who’ve been accepted into college should not be prevented from starting class this fall because of a test cancellation they could not control,” said Brown spokeswoman Deborah Hoffman, according to the Los Angeles Times.

Many students were required to pass the exam to be accepted into four-year colleges, certain job-training programs and the military.

“We have a high school graduation requirement in place that no one can meet,” said Sen. Carol Liu (D-La Canada-Flintridge), who sponsored a bill, SB172, that would suspend the exit exam for the classes of 2015 through 2018.

The California Senate advanced Liu’s measure, which is now being considered in the Assembly. If signed into law, SB172 would take effect on Jan. 1, which would do nothing for students who would have needed to pass the exit exam in July to start job-training programs or join the military this month. Since coming back from the summer session last week, state lawmakers have been looking for a solution for the class of 2015.

“I am grateful to put this snafu behind us so that students get the education they deserve,” said Assemblyman Phil Ting (D-San Francisco), who co-authored the bill, according to San Francisco Chronicle. “Students never should have been put in this position.”

SB725 faced opposition from lawmakers, including Senate Republican Leader Bob Huff of Diamond Bar, who urged the state to quickly update the exam.

“It’s mind-blowing to me that this even happened,” he said, according to SF Gate. “Without an Exit Exam, we will return to the days where a diploma shows completion of course work without a guarantee of minimum mathematics and language-arts competency. We can’t let that happen to California students, who deserve better than that from us.”

Assemblyman Travis Allen (R-Huntington Beach), said California should reinstate the test so students can obtain their diploma the way those before them did.

School board members in Oakland and San Francisco called voting to give diplomas to high school students who met all graduation requirements except for the Exit Exam unacceptable. The action technically violated California’s education code, according to the Chronicle.