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San Diego Schools Closing Gap In Math

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



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