California: Foes target high school exit exam. Failure rate of minorities sparks protests, lawsuits

Sacramento Bee ^ | October 5, 2002 | Bill Lindelof

[John Jorsett]

Alarmed at the high failure rate of some minority and disabled students, parents statewide are filing lawsuits and planning demonstrations against the state's high school exit exam.

Interest groups representing minorities charge that students of color, low-income students and English learners in California are less likely to be taught by the best teachers, to have proper textbooks and to be offered a rigorous curriculum.

[THX 1138]

Good God, I could have passed this test when I was in the sixth grade.

[Joe Hadenuf]

We want mo money, gives us mo money.....

[Joe Hadenuf]

In Massachusetts, six students who failed a high school exit exam sued the state last month, claiming the test discriminates against minorities and the poor.

This $hit is so out of control.....

[metesky]

Couldn't get past the second and third paragraphs without getting that queasy feeling I wasn't in Kansas anymore.

Interest groups representing minorities charge that students of color, low-income students and English learners in California are less likely to be taught by the best teachers, to have proper textbooks and to be offered a rigorous curriculum.

That, they allege, is the reason that minority students in the class of 2003-04 taking the exit exam, which measures math and English skills, had such high failure rates the past two years.

Their spawn are too dumb to pass the easy courses they're in now, but if they had more dificult courses they'd all be at the top o' the class?

I don't be thinkin' so.

[kilohertz]

The term anglo is used because it has a double whamming for these liberal racists. They don't have to acknowledge that Mexicans are caucasians (white) and can maintain the myth of the minority staus. The term also is derogatory and provides them a wedge issue in their Mexican constituancy which promotes their necessity as a vital interlocutor.

I agree. Good to see I'm not the only one who thinks it's an intentionally derogatory term.

[NormsRevenge]

DUMP DAVI$ & the Den of Socialists

GO SIMON

DUMP DAVI$

[ffrancone]

SOB, WHINE, WHIMPER, SOB, WHINE, WHIMPER.
THE REPUBLICANS TOOK BACK THE SENATE.

HELP MAKE THIS HAPPEN! GO TO:

TakeBackCongress.org

A resource for conservatives who want a Republican majority in the Senate

[jdontom]

"They are testing kids over material they have not been taught," he said. "It makes no sense that kids who have not taken Algebra 1 are taking a test on that course work."

This has got to be the most silliest excuse for failure we have seen, this whole article is about blame, blame, blame, blame. This stuff will not make any news for fear of hurting our beloved Gov......

Another nice find John..

[hoosierskypilot]

"..., but what do you think of the term 'anglo'..."

I never really thought about it. It's from "anglo saxon", right? Doesn't bother me. But whites aren't typically sensitive, like other races.

Like that school that called its team "fighting whiteys" as attempt to insult whites. We didn't bite. In fact, whites loved it. Started buying t-shirts and such.

[deziner]

My daughter is in the 6th grade and SHE could pass it!!! Her homework is harder than that test.

[jude24]

Flipped through it. I saw all I needed to when I saw the article on the benefits of electric cars.

And they think that standardized exams are NOT PC enough?

[jonathanmo]

Here some other examples as well in interactive form....

http://www.calexitexam.com/

 

[kilohertz]

I never really thought about it. It's from "anglo saxon", right? Doesn't bother me. But whites aren't typically sensitive, like other races.

I am not completely sure what the origin is, as "anglo" is a prefix meaning English in lots of compound words. I believe that "anglo" has been in long use as a Texas/Southwestern Hispanic term for an English-speaking, non-Hispanic white.

Over the past 10 years or so, the major media have replaced "white" with "anglo," and I suspect they don't mean it in a nice way. I am bothered by it, but a lot of people don't seem to be.

Like that school that called its team "fighting whiteys" as attempt to insult whites. We didn't bite. In fact, whites loved it. Started buying t-shirts and such.

Yeah, I know, I thought that was kinda cute myself.

[ladylib]

How can it be fair to test kids on subjects that haven't been taught? Kids and parents should be outraged at the crappy education these kids have gotten and taxpayers have paid for. If these stupid administrators would insist students learn academic subjects instead of having Planned Parenthood come into the schools and assess the kids about their feelings on homosexuality and all the rest of the crapola, schools would be in much better shape.

What annoys me is that the schools aren't teaching the kids what they need to know to pass these tests. Then the kids have to turn around and pull the fat from the fire so these dunderheads can keep their cushy jobs and property values don't go down. These kids are going to wake up and realize they've been used and when they do, public education is either going to change for the better or it will no longer exist.

[boris]

I bet my barber that a high-school senior, selected at random, could perform no better than 50% on a test like the following:

1. State one of Newton's Laws of Motion.
2. Which came first, the Civil War or the War of 1812?
3. Where is Madagascar?
4. Which planets have no moon(s)?
5. Solve a quadratic equation, no calculators allowed.
6. Write a coherent paragraph, in English, no spelling or grammar errors.
7. Who wrote the National Anthem?
8. Name three Amendments in the Bill of Rights and describe their intent and function.
9. For what accomplishment did Albert Einstein win the Nobel Prize?
10. Which is greater, 2/3 or 3/4? (No calculators again!)

As it happens, a random high-school senior wandered into the shop. He scored 40%.

I propose the "Boris test" above--or reasonable facsimile--as the "Exit exam"...and also as a mandatory test for all teachers to determine their competence. Or you can make up your own.

--Boris

[PatrioticAmerican]

Maybe if the "minorities", read: Mexicans, would speak english, they might actually be able to read the test.

[Schatze]

Interest groups representing minorities charge that students of color, low-income students and English learners in California are less likely to be taught by the best teachers, to have proper textbooks and to be offered a rigorous curriculum.

That, they allege, is the reason that minority students in the class of 2003-04 taking the exit exam, which measures math and English skills, had such high failure rates the past two years.

If this is true, then how do these people explain the minority (and other) students from those schools who passed the exam?