County Fares Well on School Exit Exam

High school students in Ventura County fared better than their peers across the state on a test they will have to pass before graduating, with 73% sailing through a language section and 53% passing in math.

However, more than two-thirds of Ventura County’s Latino students failed the math section of the first California High School Exit Exam, which was taken voluntarily last March by 6,500 members of the class of 2004.

Students from poor homes and those still learning to speak English also did poorly on both sections of the test, according to results released by the state Wednesday.

“That’s where efforts need to go,” said Ventura County Supt. of Schools Charles Weis. “This is achievable, and it’s going to get better.”

To close the gap, school administrators say they will take several measures, from stepped-up after-school tutoring to weekend classes.

Beginning with this year’s sophomore class, all students--including those in special education classes and alternative programs--must pass the exit exam before they earn diplomas, even if all other requirements are met.

The language section covers material students should learn by 10th grade, and the math section includes concepts taught through eighth grade, plus algebra, which is usually taken by the sophomore year.

Statewide, 64% of students passed the language portion of the test and 44% passed the math section.

While local teachers and school administrators were pleased that so many freshmen passed on their first try, they also warned students against assuming they have learned all they need to.

“This is the absolute lowest level of performance needed to earn a diploma,” said Robert Rizzardi, testing coordinator for the Simi Valley Unified School District, where 85% of students passed the language test. “It is not, by any stretch of the imagination, what we want kids to exit high school with.”

Will Cowen, a social studies and math teacher at Pacifica High School in Oxnard, said that means teachers may have to work harder to motivate all students, including those who have already passed the exit exam.

“I would tell them that if they were smart enough to pass as freshmen, they have a lot of good things ahead of them,” Cowen said.

In Ventura County, about 62% of eligible freshmen took the test last spring. At the time, state officials were uncertain whether the test would count, so some local administrators did not encourage widespread participation.

Three districts--Oak Park, Conejo Valley and Ojai--did not test enough students for the results to be meaningfully interpreted.

Those districts--all in affluent, white-collar areas--are typically Ventura County’s top performers on other standardized tests such as the Stanford 9 and the SAT.

Weis said he was “pleasantly surprised” that even without those districts, the county performed above state averages.

Among school districts where at least two-thirds of freshmen were tested, notable achievers included Simi Valley High School, where 87% passed language and 68% passed math; Camarillo High School, where 89% passed in language and 76% passed math; and Foothill Technology High School in Ventura, where 91% passed in language and 69% passed math.

Now that the first results are in, the real work begins, educators said.

“I would say to those who didn’t pass, ‘Don’t be scared and don’t freak out,’ ” Weis said. “Just find out what you didn’t do well on and go get help.”

Increased funding from the state for intervention programs means more help is available, he said.

At Santa Paula High School, where only 27% passed both sections, students may have to take more than one class in math and English per semester. They also could be tutored before or after school by credentialed teachers, attend class on Saturdays and enroll in summer programs.

“We have our job cut out for us,” said Principal Tony Gaitan.

This year’s sophomores will have seven more opportunities to pass the test before the end of their senior year, said Doug Stone, a spokesman for the state education department. One more chance will be given during the summer after senior year.

Any student who does not pass will not earn a diploma but could pursue a high school equivalency certificate through adult school or community college, Stone said.

With such high stakes, the exit exam is a responsibility that teachers, principals and administrators say they are taking very seriously. At Fillmore High School, teachers are being equipped with exit-exam preparation materials and officials are arranging for later buses so students from outlying areas like Piru and Rancho Sespe can stay for after-school help.

In Oxnard and Camarillo, all students who did not pass the exam in March will be required to undergo tutoring or supplemental classes.

The task may be most difficult at the county’s continuation and alternative schools, some of which enroll students who have been expelled or incarcerated.

“I can only try to increase the students’ skill level,” said Daisy Tatum, who runs Pacific View and Puente high schools in Oxnard. “I can’t perform a miracle if they won’t open their brain and let me in.”