EDITORIAL DIPLOMA DILEMMA.

AFTER a hearing Tuesday, the California High School Exit Exam now awaits a verdict from a state appeals court, which is reviewing a judge's decision to invalidate the test in May. Who would have guessed that a simple achievement test could create such controversy?

The objection to the CAHSEE is that kids might fail it through no fault of their own due to the shortcomings of our public schools. But can't the same be said for any measure of academic performance?

Every time any kid fails a test, couldn't the fault lie with the previous years of poor preparation?

Yet no one suggests handing out diplomas to everyone, just because we don't know who's to blame -- students or schools -- when certain kids fail.

For a diploma to have any meaning in the work force or college admissions offices, it must be demonstrably connected to real achievement. And for young people to succeed in the world, they need a solid education -- even if that means repeating senior year -- not a sympathy diploma.

It's only proper for the state to ensure the integrity of its high-school diplomas. The sooner California's courts recognize that, the better for the students and their futures.