Newsroom
County high school students improve
on Exit Exam for fifth year in a row
For a fifth consecutive year, Riverside County’s high school students’ performance kept improving on the California High School Exit Exam (CAHSEE).
State results, released today (Wednesday, August 22, 2012), show that Riverside County tenth-grade students registered an 83 percent pass rate on the CAHSEE’s math portion, an improvement of one percentage point over the previous year. On the other segment of the exam, testing English language arts skills, 82 percent of Riverside County tenth grade test-takers passed. That pass rate was unchanged from the preceding year.
The slight gain in combined performance represented Riverside County’s best showing on the high school exit exam since California launched the test in 2004.
Said Riverside County Superintendent of Schools Kenneth Young: “We’ve had five straight years of gains on the exit exam, in spite of some real economic hardship for our schools and families. In June we learned Riverside County had the third-highest graduation rate among California’s 11 comparable counties. Riverside County’s dropout rate is now fourth lowest in that same group. All the evidence is telling us our county’s schools and students are focused right where they should be, on steady educational improvement. In today’s economy, to ensure a higher quality of life, our students need to carry these learning skills on to postsecondary education or training.”
Other elements of the 2012 CAHSEE report:
* For the first time since 2004, the number of tenth grade test-takers fell in Riverside County. Those numbers were down some 500, reflecting a trend that was even more prominent statewide. Across California, 467,654 tenth graders took the test last year – the fewest since 2005.
* Since 2004 the achievement gap has narrowed for all subgroups in Riverside County. And significantly, the 2012 passing rates for the county’s African American, Hispanic and economically disadvantaged students all topped the statewide average, both in the math and English.
* Based on the 2012 CAHSEE results, the top five high-performing districts in Riverside County are: Temecula Valley USD; Murrieta Valley USD; Corona-Norco USD; Beaumont USD; and Desert Sands USD.
* The five districts scoring the largest increases in CAHSEE passing rates since 2004 are: Coachella Valley USD, Banning USD, Beaumont USD, Palm Springs USD and Alvord USD.
* The 2012 CAHSEE results show that Riverside County’s top five high-performing comprehensive high schools are John F. Kennedy High (Corona-Norco USD); Nuview Bridge (Nuview Bridge), Murrieta Valley High (Murrieta Valley USD), Santiago High (Corona-Norco USD); and Great Oak High (Temecula Valley USD).
* The top five comprehensive high schools with the most improved CAHSEE passing rates since 2004 are: Coachella Valley High (Coachella Valley USD); Moreno Valley High (Moreno Valley USD); Rubidoux High (Jurupa USD); Cathedral City High (Palm Spring USD); and West Shores High (Coachella Valley USD).
The California High School Exit Exam (CAHSEE) was created to fulfill the requirements of a state law enacted in 1999. Passage of the CAHSEE has been a requirement for high school graduation since the Class of 2006. The test results are also used by both state and federal officials to help determine school and district accountability.
Questions on the English language arts portion test skills in reading, writing and comprehension, and are based on curriculum up to tenth grade. The math exam covers standards from sixth and seventh grade, ranging from fractions, percentages and measurement up to mathematical reasoning and the first part of algebra.
The test is given multiple times each year. All public high school students must take it for the first time in grade 10. Students may retake the test, and passing scores on math and English language arts segments may be recorded at different sessions. Some special education students are exempted from passing the CAHSEE as a requirement of graduation.
For information contact:
Rick Peoples, Public Information Officer
Telephone: (951) 826-6642
Fax: (951) 826-6199
rpeoples@rcoe.us
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