| As the San Diego schools graduating class
| |
| | Asians had passed. When the class of 2006
|
| of 2007 begin their senior year, school
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| | first took the exam two years ago, 65
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| district superintendents across San Diego
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| | percent of blacks and Latinos passed the
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| County are celebrating. The San Diego
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| | math portion, with 90 percent of whites
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| County Schools announced in September
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| | and Asians passing it.
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| that, as of the class of 2006, the gap in
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| | The math portion of the California High
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| passing the crucial math portion of the
| |
| | School Exit Exam covers middle school
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| state exit exam is nearly closed between
| |
| | math and some algebra. A score of at
|
| black/Latino and white/Asian students.
| |
| | least 55 percent must be achieved to pass
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| The county school report represented
| |
| | the exam. Students first take the exam in
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| three years worth of student testing. The
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| | their sophomore year and have numerous
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| results break a long-standing pattern of
| |
| | chances in their junior and senior years
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| lagging scores for black and Latino
| |
| | to retake the exam. The test was first
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| students.
| |
| | administered in 2001, but the requirement
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| Across the nation, as well as in the San
| |
| | to pass or not receive a high school
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| Diego schools, gaps have long been
| |
| | diploma was implemented with the class of
|
| evident between races in many academic
| |
| | 2006.
|
| measures, such as SAT scores, dropout
| |
| | Passing the math portion is of particular
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| rates, and college prep course
| |
| | concern to the San Diego schools, where
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| enrollment.
| |
| | 43 percent of its students fall into this
|
| There are many theories as to why the gap
| |
| | lagging behind category. Latino children
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| exists. Some believe high-achieving
| |
| | represent its largest racial or ethnic
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| minority students are condemned by their
| |
| | group.
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| peers as "acting white", while others
| |
| | San Diego schools Superintendent Carl
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| believe that racism is built into the
| |
| | Cohn pointed out the importance of this
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| institution to discourage minorities from
| |
| | test. He said it means the difference
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| enrolling in rigorous courses. It is even
| |
| | between a lifetime of unemployment and/or
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| believed that predominantly low-income,
| |
| | incarceration and a successful lifestyle
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| minority schools generally employ
| |
| | for San Diego schools students. "It makes
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| inexperienced or uncredentialed teachers.
| |
| | all the difference in the world," stated
|
| Whatever the problem, it seems the San
| |
| | Cohn. "The test is genuinely high
|
| Diego schools and other districts in the
| |
| | stakes."
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| county are resolving it. About three
| |
| | The National Center for Education
|
| years ago, 42 school district
| |
| | Statistics underscores the San Diego
|
| superintendents, including the San Diego
| |
| | schools superintendent's remarks. It
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| schools, pledged to help black and Latino
| |
| | reports that, if a student enrolls in
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| students bring their math skills up to
| |
| | algebra in the eighth grade, the chances
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| par. The Superintendents' Achievement Gap
| |
| | that student will apply to a four-year
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| Task Force closed the gap by using
| |
| | college almost doubles.
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| teacher training, prep courses, increased
| |
| | With all the good results for the
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| teaching time for struggling students,
| |
| | county's class of 2006, 1,207 students
|
| and a symposia for county educators to
| |
| | were denied diplomas, because they did
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| share techniques and results. A variety
| |
| | not pass the math portion of the exit
|
| of methods were employed to ensure
| |
| | exam. Thus, for the San Diego schools, a
|
| students had every opportunity to
| |
| | gap is still a gap. San Diego schools
|
| succeed.
| |
| | officials acknowledge that more work
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| By class of 2006 graduation day, 92.3
| |
| | needs to be done to bring blacks and
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| percent of blacks and Latinos had passed
| |
| | Latinos' pass rates up within the San
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| the test, and 98.5 percent of whites and
| |
| | Diego schools.
|
