PUBLIC POLICY PERSPECTIVESAugust 16, 2010 Vol. 2 No. 3 ____________________________________________________________ EDUCATION EDITIONState Board of Education Approves Pilot Study to Provide Alternative Means to Pass California High School Exit ExaminationIntroduction On July 14, 2010, the California State Board of Education (SBE) voted to approve the implementation of a pilot study recommended by California State Superintendent of Schools (SPI) Jack O’Connell. The pilot study will examine the feasibility of creating a two-tiered system for SWDs to meet standards comparable to the CAHSEE. The SBE action represents a significant first step forward in responding to the longstanding contention of special education experts and the disability community that the CAHSEE has a disproportionate negative impact on students with disabilities SWDs. It was argued that imposing such a requirement as a condition for graduation with a high school diploma was fundamentally unfair to SWDs who cannot pass the CAHSEE. The pilot study is still in the very early stages of development and implementation. It will require ongoing cooperation between the SBE, independent consultants, school districts, students, the disability community and other stakeholders. The SBE is required to adopt administrative regulations and commence the pilot study in October 2010. Following its evaluation of the results of the pilot study, the SBE will be required to make a determination in September 2011 as to whether the alternative means system is feasible and capable of being implemented statewide. However, even if it is applied for all public high schools, early projections estimate that only a relatively very small percentage of SWDs will be able to pass the alternative means system standards. The ability of these students to pass the standards largely will depend on the severity of their learning disability and whether they can meet the prescribed alternative standards comparable to the CAHSEE. The study envisions that school districts and special education teachers, will be encouraged to provide supportive services to these students, but it is premature to estimate the number of SWDs who would have access to these services. If the pilot study proves to be successful, the alternative means system may offer new opportunities for SWDs to obtain a high school diploma even if they are unable to pass the CAHSEE. This is an important issue for SWDs and their parents and the disability community and the pilot study and evaluation is an education issue that warrants close attention. A Brief Overview of the Evolution of the CAHSEE The original intent of the CAHSEE was to significantly improve student achievement and to ensure that graduates have demonstrated academic competency in reading, writing and mathematics. It mirrored a national education reform trend that placed an emphasis on testing and holding school districts and teachers more accountable for deficiencies in student academic performance. However, even from the onset when California explored requiring a high school exit examination, there was considerable opposition in the Legislature and among the general public. SPI O’Connell was the author of the original legislation in 1999 that required the development of an exit examination instrument and SBE approval. He was a staunch advocate for education reform through his tenure in the Legislature. Following his decision to run for statewide office as the SPI, he made the CAHSEE part of his campaign platform when he was elected in 2002. Despite considerable political pressure and criticism, he has consistently defended the CAHSEE to address declines in academic achievement. The CAHSEE requires students to pass two segments of the examination that assess proficiency in English Language Arts (ELA) and Mathematics. The ELA includes 79 multiple choice questions and requires students to respond to a 2 ½ page essay. The math section consists of 92 multiple choice questions. Students must acquire 450 points in each segment to pass. The essays are graded on a scale of one to four with a zero possible only if the test reviewers found that the essays were off topic or were non-English responses. The ELA tests students at a 10th grade level and requires a grade of 60 percent to pass. The Mathematics section tests students at an 8thgrade level and requires a score of 55 percent to pass. Students are allowed to take the test beginning in their sophomore year and only need to re-take sections that they fail to pass. On and after July 1, 2009, existing law exempts all eligible SWDs students with an individualized education program (IEP) or a Section 504 plan from the CAHSEE if their plan indicates that the student has satisfied or will satisfy all other state and local requirements to receive a high school diploma. The exemption is in effect until: (1) the SBE determines that an alternative means for SWDs to demonstrate equivalent academic achievement is not feasible, or (2) until the alternative means are implemented. As the bill moved through the legislative process, critics challenged the public policy justification and legality of the CAHSEE as it applied to SWDs. Educators and the vast majority of parents of SWDs agreed that a certain segment of students would never be able to pass CAHSEE and that it was patently unfair to require them to do so. Initially, the test was designed to be a graduation requirement for the high school Class of 2004. However, the SBE later extended the deadline to focus on the Class of 2006. The development of the pilot study was an essential component of the Legislature’s mandate that the SBE make a determination as to whether or not an alternative means system for SWDs is feasible. The SBE was required to convene and consult with an “AB 2040 Panel” to develop a series of alternative means recommendations that were subsequently reviewed by an outside, independent consulting firm. These recommendations were incorporated into the report submitted by the SPI and it was reviewed and approved by the SBE at its July 14th public hearing. The results of the pilot study must be evaluated by the SBE prior to authorizing the alternative means system in all public high schools Overview of the Pilot Study’s Two-Tiered System for the Alternative Means for SWDs to Satisfy the CAHSEE Requirement The pilot study will utilize the two-tiered system that is designated the “CAHSEE Performance Evaluation Process” as the system approved by the SBE to evaluate the alternative means for eligible SWDs. It would provide for all of the following: TIER 1: The first tier involves the computation of a composite index based on other test scores including, but not limited to, the California Standards Test [CST], the California Modified Assessment [CMA], community college assessments, and others, as well as course grades in ELA and Mathematics. Students who achieve a minimum score under Tier 1 would be deemed to have satisfied the CAHSEE requirement. Students who do not achieve a minimum score on this composite would be eligible to participate in a Tier 2 review. Students satisfying the CAHSEE requirement through Tier 1 for one portion of the CAHSEE, but not the other, would proceed to Tier 2 for the portion not yet satisfied. For example, if a student achieved a CST score equivalent to a passing score on the CAHSEE in ELA, but received a CST score below the equivalency of a passing score on the CAHSEE in mathematics, that student would move to Tier 2 only for the mathematics portion . TIER 2: Tier 2 will consist of an evaluation of evidence designed to demonstrate that a student has met the same level of academic achievement required for passage of the CAHSEE. The requirements include, but are not limited to, the following:
Student Eligibility Criteria A student’s eligibility for participation in the pilot study will be based on the eligibility requirements specified in Section 60852.2 of the Education Code. These include eligibility requirements that: (1) the student has not passed either the ELA or Mathematics portion of the CAHSEE; (2) the student has or will satisfy all of the other state and local graduation requirements; (3) the student has an IEP or Section 504 plan; (4) the student has attempted the CAHSEE twice after grade 10, including once in grade 12 with accommodations or modifications specified in his or her IEP or Section 504 plan; and (5) the student’s CAHSEE score is less than 350 Summary of Other Considerations and Factors Remaining Issues and Concerns In its presentation to the SBE, the independent contractor that helped develop the two-tiered system shared the results of a survey it conducted that asked for feedback from school districts and special education experts. The survey results led them to conclude that very few SWDs would be likely to pass the Tier 1 screen. The survey participants had suggested that while a higher number could meet the requirements of the Tier 2 screen, there were a number of unresolved education policy decisions that needed to be resolved in the pilot study relative to student eligibility criteria, as well as the objective comparability standards of the Tier 2 evaluation and achievement criteria as compared to the CAHSEE. It was suggested that the pilot study would best be served by reducing the total number of eligible Tier 2 enrollees to those most likely capable of passing the Tier 2 screen. This recommendation would reduce the total number of SWDs participating in the pilot study and enable those selected students to receive more focused teacher time to help them to pass the Tier 2 screen. The SBE agreed that the feasibility of the alternative means will require appropriate adjustments along the way as the pilot study proceeds. Audits will be performed on the alternative means process. This includes, among other things, the scope of work, the preparation and submission of work samples, the conduct of the scoring process, and the adherence of examiners (e.g. teachers and IEP/Section 504 plan team members) to test security requirements. In addition, the independent contractors, school districts, special education experts, and SBE staff participating in the pilot study will need to collaborate to adjust and fine tune the scope of work. These adjustments will help ensure that pilot study will produce the best possible and most workable alternative means results. It is within the interests of the special education and disability communities to closely monitor the progress of the pilot study. This is a critical component in maximizing opportunities for eligible SWDs who are unable to pass the CAHSEE to demonstrate comparable academic achievement through objective verifiable alternative means to meet the criteria to obtain a high school diploma. |
