H.S. test delay mulled

A proposal at a recent school board meeting to provide students who fulfilled all graduation requirements except for passing the exam with certificates of completion, but not allowing them to walk at graduation, was met with protests from some parents, who complained denying students the right to walk at graduation would be scarring.

"I would have a very difficult time denying that child the opportunity to walk across the stage," trustee Dave Kemp said.

The certificate itself would not be a replacement for a diploma, but rather a record of that student's achievements during high school, Sheehy said.

There are still 32 students who haven't passed the exam who are neither English-learners nor special education students.

At 3% of the senior class, the number is close to that of the students who were unable to graduate in previous years, Sheehy said.

"At Burroughs, the percentage of seniors who don't graduate has been between 3 and 5% of the class," she said.

Those students would still be granted a diploma from their original high schools if they were able to pass the test the following fall, she said. They would also have the option to continue their high-school education at Burbank's adult school.

QUESTION

What do you think of legislation that would allow special education students a one-year reprieve from the high school exit exam? E-mail your responses to burbankleader @latimes.com; mail them to the Burbank Leader, 111 W. Wilson Ave., Glendale, CA 91203. Please spell your name and include your address and phone number for verification purposes only.