Revised Test Administration Schedule
The State Superintendent of Public Instruction has approved several revisions to the California High School Exit Examination (CAHSEE) administration schedule beginning in the 2006-07 school year. On April 17, the California Department of Education (CDE) e-mailed a letter to district superintendents and testing coordinators announcing the revised administration schedule and the scheduling guidelines for the 2006-07 school year. The letter and guidelines are also available on the CAHSEE Web page.
Proposed Regulations Hearing
At its March 2006 meeting, the State Board of Education (SBE) adopted emergency regulations that permit eligible adult students in school districts to take the CAHSEE up to three times per school year and to take the exam in successive administrations beginning in the 2006-07 school year. In addition, the emergency regulations specify the data that school districts are to submit to the CDE regarding the local waiver process for students with disabilities and the one-year exemption for students with disabilities in the class of 2006.
The SBE also approved the commencement of the rulemaking process for proposed regulations to make the emergency regulations a permanent part of the CAHSEE regulations. The 45-day public review period for the regulations began on March 17, and the CDE will hear public comments on the regulations at a public hearing scheduled for 1:00 p.m. on May 3, 2006, at 1430 N Street, Room 1101, Sacramento.
Spring 2006 Test Administrations
The spring 2006 administrations of the CAHSEE were scheduled in February, March, and May. Results from the February 2006 test administration were shipped to school districts this month, and results from the March 2006 test administration will arrive in school districts by May 26.
The final CAHSEE administration of the 2005-06 school year will be held May 9-10, 2006. The supplemental order deadline for this administration is May 3, and student results will arrive in school districts by July 21.
Estimated Passing Rate for Class of 2006
The independent evaluator for the CAHSEE, the Human Resources Research Organization (HumRRO), has estimated that as of January 2006, 89 percent of students in the class of 2006 have passed both portions of the CAHSEE. This estimate does not include students with disabilities who were provided a one-year exemption by Senate Bill 517. HumRRO has also estimated passing rates for subgroups, which are available on the News Release Web page.
Senate Bill 517 and Verification of Exemption Eligibility
All students must pass the CAHSEE to receive a public high school diploma, with the exception of students who are granted a local waiver pursuant to Education Code Section 60851(c) and students in the class of 2006 who receive an exemption pursuant to Education Code Section 60852.3 (Senate Bill 517).
Senate Bill 517 requires all local educational agencies (LEAs) to grant a high school diploma to each student with disabilities who is scheduled to graduate from high school in 2006, has not passed the CAHSEE, has not been granted a local waiver of the CAHSEE requirement pursuant to Education Code Section 60851(c), and has met each of the seven criteria listed in Education Code Section 60852.3(a). LEAs must submit documentation of the failure to grant a high school diploma pursuant to this section to the SBE within 15 days of the determination that the student does not meet the criteria for the one-year exemption.
To assist LEAs in submitting this documentation, the CDE has developed a form that may be used to document a student’s eligibility for the one-year exemption. This form will be e-mailed to district superintendents and test coordinators this month and will be available on the CAHSEE Web page. Use of this form is recommended but not required.
If a student satisfies all of the requirements for the one-year exemption, it is suggested that the completed form be placed in the student’s permanent record as evidence of the student’s eligibility for the exemption. No documentation should be submitted to the SBE if the student meets the criteria for the one-year exemption.
More Information
Additional information about the CAHSEE is available on the CAHSEE Web page. Questions about the CAHSEE should be directed to the CDE CAHSEE Office at 916-445-9449.
