Fairness in Improving Schools

Gov. Gray Davis is raising expectations of California’s students and schools with two measures that are scheduled for a vote today before the full Senate, companion bills to two that have already passed the Assembly. One measure would require pupils to pass an exit exam prior to high school graduation. The other would rank the state’s public schools and hold every campus accountable for improvement. It is important that there be strong expectations and high goals for the schools.

The bills, part of the governor’s education package, are opposed by some educators and civil rights activists who challenge the fairness of ranking all schools regardless of resources and requiring all students to meet minimum academic standards. But that’s exactly what public education needs.

One bill would rank schools on the basis of student performance, attendance and dropout rates. During constructive negotiations, Sens. Tom Hayden (D-Los Angeles), John Vasconcellos (D-Santa Clara) and Richard Alarcon (D-Sylmar) raised the issue of equity, a justifiable concern because poor students often attend the worst schools with the worst teachers and therefore compare unfavorably with students at more affluent schools.

The bill has been amended to account for improvement from year to year and to reflect demographics including poverty, transience, limited English ability and other factors that can depress student achievement. This richer, more complete picture would, for instance, allow better analysis of why at-risk students succeed at one campus while similar students fail at another campus in the same neighborhood. Another improvement accepted by the author, Sen. Dede Alpert (D-Coronado), would equally split funds between schools doing well and those that need help. The original bill gave the lion’s share to top performers as a reward, leaving too little for assistance to low-performing schools.

The testing measure would take effect in 2004, so that students entering high school this fall could prepare for the new test. They would be allowed to take the test as early as the ninth grade and to repeat it as needed.

Fairness issues were also raised because black and Latino students generally do not score as high on standardized tests as whites and Asians. Amendments added safeguards.

As currently written, the bill, authored by Sen. Jack O’Connell (D-San Luis Obispo), would require the state to do a preliminary trial of the graduation exam to rule out racial, ethnic and cultural bias. School districts would be asked to help students who failed on their first try and students at risk of performing poorly. Those are useful measures. But the state Board of Education also would be encouraged to study an alternative demonstration of academic proficiency, such as a portfolio of work, for students who despite excellent grades have a test phobia or otherwise cannot pass the exam for psychological or physical reasons. This is the sort of loophole that could be abused, so it should be tightly controlled and closely monitored.

Equity concerns, though valid for minority students and for poor students, should not block progress. California needs only to look to Texas. Black and Latino students in Texas, including those from poor families, have made steady academic progress on the high school exit exam. Yes, black and Latino students fail the test more often than white students, but that gap is closing and more students in all categories are passing it.

The governor’s special legislative session on education is giving greater urgency to school reform. The bills he has proposed can be fine-tuned, but they must not be watered down. High expectations give both schoools and students something to aim for. Trust that they will rise to the goals.