Exit Exam No Problem for 94% of PUSD 10th-Graders

Poway Unified School District 10th-graders continue to perform better on the California High School Exit Exam than the county and state overall, according to test results released Wednesday.

According to the California Department of Education, 94 percent of PUSD 10th-graders passed the English section, the same percentage that passed the math section. This exceeds the 82.7 percent of California sophomores passing the math, and the 82.4 percent who passed the English section.

Students must pass both sections between 10th and 12th grade to be eligible to graduate, and for the class of 2011, 94.6 percent of California students did just that.

"It is heartening to see that our students continue to learn and achieve despite the painful toll that budget cuts are taking on our schools," State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson said. "The results of this year's exit examination—and the progress schools are making to close the achievement gap—are yet another sign of the remarkable commitment that teachers, school employees and administrators have to the students of California."

In San Diego County, 87 percent of 10th grade students passed the math section while 85 percent passed the English portion. In the San Diego Unified School District, 85 percent of the 10th-graders passed math; 82 percent passed the English test.

Students have multiple chances beginning in 10th grade to pass the test, with sophomore-year testing required. There are two more chances during 11th grade and three during the senior year. The class of 2006 was the first California graduating class required to pass the exam.

City News Service contributed to this report.