Irma Lemus
BURBANK -- The Burbank Board of Education is expected to give its
approval tomorrow to a new set of graduation requirements that are tied
to an exit exam all California students must pass beginning with the
Class of 2004.
Among the changes, the board will consider requiring students to take
algebra as one of their two years of math and an extra semester of
English, officials said. The board is scheduled to vote on the new
standards Thursday.
"What [the revised policy] is doing is bringing district and state
requirements together -- stating it clearly for administrators, teachers
and parents," said Gregory Bowman, Burbank Unified's assistant
superintendent.
The California High School Exit Exam, which was passed into law last
year, requires that state students have a minimum level of knowledge in a
variety of subjects before they graduate. The new exam goes into effect
with the class of 2004 -- this school year's ninth-graders.
Beginning in the spring semester, ninth-graders at Burbank's two high
schools will take the exit exam, Bowman said.
"The test is important because it establishes clearly what is expected
of high school students. It also helps us determine what students need to
learn," Bowman said.
High school students can take the exam, which includes multiple-choice
math, language and reading questions, up to three times each school year,
said Caroline Brumm, the district's coordinator of student and program
evaluation.
Once a student passes the exam, they are not required to take it
again. Students who do not pass the exam will get help, Brumm said.
If the new standards are approved as expected, students beginning with
the Class of 2002 would need 230 semester units to graduate, 10 more than
now. The extra units would be filled by an extra semester of English and
an elective.
For the Class of 2004 and those that follow, two years of math will be
still be required but, unlike now, one of the years must be algebra.
In addition to completing two years of math and four years of English,
students must pass two years of science, three years of history/social
science, a health class, two years of physical education, a year of arts
classes and 70 units of electives under the new requirements.
Middle school graduation requirements would remain the same, officials
said.
