East Bay Students Show Gains in Exit Exam Scores

More Bay Area students passed the high school exit exam in 2011 than ever in the 12 years since the state created the test, according to results released by the California Department of Education.

At Northgate and Las Lomas high schools, the 2010-11 results overall for the California High School Exit Exam (CAHSEE) showed a slight decline in high rates of passage from the 2009-10 results. The new results have passing rates of 96 percent for Northgate and 94 percent for Las Lomas.

At Las Lomas High for 2010-11, 366 of 384 (95 percent) students passed the math exam. At Las Lomas, 362 of 385 (94 percent) passed the English Language Arts exam. 

The overall rate, both tests, was 94 percent passing, and 82 percent scoring "proficient" or better. That compares to an overall pass rate of 95 percent in 2009-10, with 84 percent at proficient or better.

See the Las Lomas results here.

At Northgate High for 2010-11, 350 of 359 students (97 percent) passed the math exam. At Northgate, 349 of 364 (96 percent) passed the English Language Arts. 

The overall rate for both tests was 96 percent passing and 82 percent scoring "proficient" or better. That compares to an overall passing rate of 97 percent in 2009-10 with 87 percent proficient or better.

See the Northgate results here.

Statewide numbers

Statewide, 94.6 percent – or 422, 558 students – passed the English-language arts and mathematics part of the test and qualified to graduate.

(Click here to see the results yourself.)

The achievement gap between white and minority students continues to shrink.

The percentage of black students in California who passed the exit exam was 90.9 of this year's graduating class, up from 89.6 percent the year before. Some 92.3 percent of the state's Hispanic students passed this year, up from 91.4 percent in 2010.

Statewide passage rates for white and Asian students: 98.4 percent and 97.7 percent, respectively.

“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,” said state Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson. “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.”

Homing in on Walnut Creek results

 • At both high schools, girls rule. At Las Lomas, the overall passing rate for both tests was 94 percent; the girls won the competition: 97 percent of girls passing and only 92 percent of boys. At Northgate the overall passing rate for both tests was 96 percent. Girls were at 98 percent and boys 94 percent.

• At Las Lomas, 19 of 25 (76 percent) special ed students passed the math and 14 of 26 (54 percent) passed the ELA. At Northgate, 16 of 21 special ed students 76 percent) passed the math exam, and 17 of 23 (74 percent) the ELA test.

• At Las Lomas, 20 of 26 (77 percent) English Learner students passed the math and 16 of 26 (62 percent ) passed the ELA. At Northgate, no results were listed for 3 English Learners taking the math and 4 taking the ELA.

• At Las Lomas, 29 of 35 (83 percent) economically disadvantaged students passed the math and 26 of 35 (74 percent) passed the ELA. At Northgate, 22 of 23 economically disadvantaged students (96 percent) passed the math test, and 20 of 23 (87 percent) passed the ELA.