10TH-GRADERS PUMPED UP FOR FIRST TRY AT CRUCIAL TEST CLASS OF '06 MUST PASS FOR HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMAS.

Byline: Jennifer Radcliffe Staff Writer

Thousands of Los Angeles Unified 10th-graders will spend today and Wednesday taking the California High School Exit Exam - a test they must pass before they can earn their diplomas in 2006.

Pulling out all the stops to help sophomores succeed, district officials are staging pep rallies, serving breakfast, wearing silly costumes and promising to dye their own hair funny colors if students do well enough.

``The next two days are very big for these kids,'' said Bob Collins, superintendent of District C, which serves parts of the San Fernando Valley. ``It's a high-stakes test.''

The exam debuted in 2001, replacing a basic-skills test. But when the first round of scores turned out lower than expected, the state Board of Education postponed using it as a graduation requirement until 2006.

For most of the state's 500,000 sophomores - representing the Class of 2006 - today will be their first try at passing the test, which includes both math and language-arts sections.

While most of the questions are based on eighth-grade material, only 59 percent of last year's sophomores passed the math portion and 78 percent of students passed the language arts section in sample tests.

This class of sophomores will have five chances to pass the exam between now and its senior year. Future classes of juniors and seniors won't take the exam unless they fail the test as sophomores or are new to the state.

Making sure students show up today excited and eager to perform well is key, Collins said.

``We've spent a tremendous amount of time building their confidence,'' he said. ``A lot of kids are intimidated by this test.''

Bob Weinberg, principal of the Sherman Oaks Center for Enriched Studies, has vowed to dye his hair green if his school's yearly progress score, based heavily on exit-exam performance, increases by about 15 points. He's held pep rallies, sported a Bob the Builder costume and written positive slogans on the sidewalks to encourage his students.

``You know this stuff,'' Weinberg said he and others tell the kids. ``It's just a matter of being positive and focusing on it.''

While Weinberg's school typically performs well, he said he knows the test must be taken seriously.

``It's really quite an obstacle for urban districts to be able to pass,'' he said. ``It's not that easy.''

At Cleveland High School, 42 percent of students passed the math test and 64 passed the English test in 2002-03, before it was a graduation requirement.

If that trend continues, Principal Allan Jay Weiner said the state may have to start offering different types of diplomas for students unable to pass the exam.

``I think at some point in time, in two or three years, it's going to be a real big problem when you have thousands of kids who haven't passed the test,'' he said.

For some special-needs students and those learning English as a second language, passing the test may be nearly impossible, Weiner said.

``We have so many different kids that come here that speak different languages,'' he said. ``It's kind of weird that you come into a country, and you have to take a test, and you can't even read it.''

But Weiner said that his school has worked hard to align its curriculum with the state's and to provide extra tutoring to help all students pass. There also have been pep rallies, and breakfast is being served to the kids today and Wednesday to give them an extra boost.

Collins said he's confident District C students will perform well.

``We're pumped up,'' he said. ``I welcome the assessment, and I welcome the opportunity to demonstrate to our community that our schools are top-notch.''

Jennifer Radcliffe, [phone]

jennifer.radcliffe(at)dailynews.com

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SOURCE: California High School Exit Examination sample questions

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