EDITORIAL EDUCATIONAL BREAKDOWN LAUSD EXIT EXAM SCORES AND DROPOUT RATES SHOW MAJOR REFORMS ARE NEEDED.

THE latest standardized test results show that nearly one-third of Los Angeles Unified students don't have the skills to pass the high school exit exam.

That's roughly triple the state failure rate, which is bad enough. But it gets worse, much worse, when those numbers are considered with the district's dropout rate of about 50 percent.

Taken together, it begins to be clear that students entering their senior year September at Los Angeles Unified School District high schools have catastrophically bad chances of getting the skills they need to graduate in June and go on to further education or training so they can lead productive lives. This is a serious breakdown in our educational system. While some improvement is being made among younger students, the fixes that have been undertaken aren't going to come in time to help the 31 percent of those entering their senior year who still need to pass the English and math portions of the exit exam. And the evidence still is spotty whether improvements among younger students are carrying over to high school.

The test results prompted the usual soul-searching comments from education officials who vow that things will change. But it's tough to buy yet another commitment after years of similar promises and only tepid reforms.

The fundamental problems with the district - lack of accountability, a bloated management and a disconnect from communities and families - haven't diminished. And even the billions of dollars worth of investment in new schools doesn't mean a thing unless the culture of the district changes so that teachers are empowered and held accountable and parents feel an ownership of their children's schools.

Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa bit into the apple of education even before he took office in July by declaring: ``I do believe that the mayor of the city of Los Angeles should have ultimate responsibility for the school system.''

Considering the dismal performance of students, he may already be wishing to take back the words. But for the sake of the city, we hope he doesn't because this may be the last best chance to reform the culture at the LAUSD.

Villaraigosa has an opportunity to lead an innovation in the school district through using his immense popularity to get the schools working for the students and communities.

The election showed that a good number of people see the breakup of the district into more manageable-size school districts as the only viable way to achieve meaningful reform.

Meanwhile, the LAUSD has a Class of 2006 to graduate. State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell said he has budgeted $20 million to help students in California pass the exams. Here's hoping that the LAUSD uses its portion wisely, and does not allow it to get absorbed into the monolithic bureaucracy.