Scotts Valley Sophmores Score High in Exit Exam

The majority of Scotts Valley sophomores passed the California High School Exit Examination for the 2010–11 school year, according to results from the California Department of Education released Wednesday.

The state exam tests students on their math and English language skills, and is a requirement for all Californian public school students to get their their high school diplomas.

According to the results, 93 percent of sophomores within the passed the math portion of the test, with 94 percent passing the English language portion.

The test also weighs results between students coming from economically disadvantaged backgrounds with those who don't.

Not surprisingly, students coming from a disadvantaged background had a lower pass rate than non-disadvantaged students, with 81 percent passing the math portion contrasted with 95 percent of non-disadvantaged students. The gap wasn't as large for the English portion of the test, with 92 percent of disadvantaged students passing compared with 96 percent of students who are not disadvantaged.

Students with disabilities were also required to take the test, although they don't need to pass the test as a graduation requirement. Instead, students with disabilities are required to take the exam to fulfill requirements of the federal Elementary and Secondary Education Act.

Special education students within the district passed the math portion of the test with a 58 percent pass rate, compared with a 50 percent pass rate for the English portion.

Here's a breakdown of Sophomore test results from the district's one high school, :

In total, SVUSD students did better than Santa Cruz County as a whole. Countywide results indicate a 83 percent pass rate for the math portion of the test and 82 percent for the English part.

Countywide figures for economically disadvantaged students indicate a 74 percent pass rate in math and a 69 percent pass rate in English. Special education results show a 44 percent pass rate in math and 41 percent in English.

State law requires that students first take the exit exam in 10th grade, although those who fail the test have additional opportunities to take it in grades 11 and 12.

Results for the 2010-11 school year are available at the school, district, county and state levels and include tests given in July, October, November and December 2010 through February, March and May of this year.

For more specific information, refer to the California Department of Education's CAHSEE results page.