MORE STUDENTS PASS CLASS OF '04: MOST MEET GRAD STANDARD.

Byline: Naush Boghossian Staff Writer

SANTA CLARITA - Nearly 80 percent of local high school juniors and sophomores have passed the state's new exit exam required for students to graduate beginning in 2004, according to results released Monday by the state.

Including the most recent results - from the test administered in the spring - 89 percent of students in the William S. Hart Union High School District have passed the English-language arts section, and 78 percent have passed the math section.

The test was first administered in 2001, and students who did not pass have had chances to retake it.

``I think we made a really strong showing on the high school exit exam,'' said Vicki Engbrecht, the district's director of curriculum and assessment. ``But we're committed to helping all our students be successful and to master the skills needed to pass this test, even if it's the 10 (percent) or 11 percent who haven't passed English-language arts or the 22 percent who haven't passed the math.''

This year's juniors, who first took the California High School Exit Examination as ninth-graders, were the first to take the test, mandated by a 1999 state law requiring all public school students to pass a standardized exam to graduate.

The purpose of the exam is to help ensure that students who graduate from high school can demonstrate competency in state standards for reading, writing and mathematics.

The latest round of Hart district scores were slightly below the state average of 54 percent passing the English-language portion and 32 percent passing the math section of the California High School Exit Examination.

Although the state did not require ninth-graders to take the test, the Hart District administered it to these freshmen in 2001. In spring 2002, 10th-graders who had not passed the test were required to take it; their scores were reported Monday.

The two-part test covers state academic content standards in mathematics through Algebra I and English-language arts through 10th grade.

District officials expect the number of students who have passed the exam to increase after results are tallied for the latest test, administered at the end of July to students who took a special summer school class to prepare.

``Our percentage of 11th-graders who have passed is likely to be higher,'' Engbrecht said.

The Hart district will administer the test each year in November, March and July. Students have eight opportunities to take the exam.

In the Hart district and across the state, more students who took the test in spring 2002 passed the English portion than the math. Delaine Eastin, state superintendent of public instruction, said that is likely because it's been just one year since algebra was required to graduate high school. Some 10th-graders have not yet taken the course.

Hart district students who had not passed the exam by June were urged to take a six-week summer school class designed to help them prepare for the July test. Schools also are organizing weekend and evening review programs in preparation for November's test.

School districts are required by law to provide additional instruction in academic standards for students who fail the test.

Engbrecht said she expects even higher passing rates with future classes because of the district's emphasis on training teachers in instruction based on curriculum standards set by the state.

``It's a major focus of the school district now, and I think it will do nothing but improve achievement in this district,'' she said. ``As our curriculum becomes more and more closely aligned to California standards, our students will perform more strongly.''

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HIGH SCHOOL EXIT EXAM RESULTS

SOURCE: State Department of Education