SACRAMENTO - Assemblymember Karen Bass (D-Los Angeles) applauds the ruling by Superior Court Judge Robert Freedman that suspends the California High School Exit Exam (CAHSEE). The ruling will prevent the State Department of Education from denying more than 46,000 California high school seniors a diploma if they have not passed the exit exam.

“I am pleased to hear that the court supports the findings of the Williams Case,” said Assemblymember Bass. “This gives the state an opportunity to bridge the resource gap between the schools in affluent areas and those in the inner city. To be fair to all students there must be adequate time to remedy this disparity. Students need books, qualified instructors, and classroom size reduction among other things if we expect them to pass this exam. “

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger settled the Williams lawsuit, thereby acknowledging the inequity in inner city and rural schools. Assemblymember Bass points out that the $1.2 billion dollars issued in the lawsuit settlement agreement has not been fully allocated. The funds would provide school districts with the necessary resources to bridge the gap.

An estimated 5,000 Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) seniors did not pass the California High School Exit Exam (CAHSEE) and therefore were slated not to graduate from high school. The majority of students who are not passing the CAHSEE are concentrated in specific schools. For example, at South Los Angeles schools 40% to 60% of students scheduled to graduate in June have not passed the exam.

“I hope the Judge compels the state to award diplomas to students who for 12 years have done all that we asked of them but who just could not pass the exam,” said Assemblymember Bass.

The CAHSEE test requirement only applies to students in the public school system. Students who attend Catholic or other private schools are not subject to the CAHSEE requirement.

Last year, Assemblymember Bass authored a bill that proposed to require the CAHSEE exam but would have provided alternative methods for students to demonstrate competency in English and Math. The bill passed the Assembly and the Senate but was vetoed by the Governor.

The CAHSEE has two parts: English-language arts (ELA) and mathematics. The ELA part addresses state content standards through grade ten. The mathematics part of the CAHSEE addresses state standards in grades six and seven and Algebra I. Students must pass both sections of the exam.