Irma Lemus
BURBANK -- Attempting to better prepare Burbank students for the state
High School Exit Exam, the Board of Education has voted to make the test
a requirement for ninth-graders.
Passed into law last year, the exam requires that California students
demonstrate 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.
According to state law, students must begin taking the exam in the
10th grade, and may take it up to three times a year until they pass it.
The board's Nov. 16 decision makes the district one of a handful
statewide that require ninth-graders to take the exam.
"The best way to get people started is to get them started," said
school board member Connie Lackey. "It will let us know what programs
need to be in place to help these students."
If students do not pass the exam, the district will provide
remediation workshops and additional assistance to students, Lackey said.
Test results will indicate where they need help, she said.
"I don't expect a majority of the students to do well in the exam
[this year], but it will prepare them," said Caroline Brumm, coordinator
of student and program evaluation.
Given in the spring, the exam includes multiple-choice questions in
math, language and reading. Once the test is passed, a student is not
required to take it again. But, students must pass the exam to receive a
high school diploma.
