[BHS etree] SPECIAL EDUCATION: California Exit Exam

[bhs at idiom.com]

A disability rights group in Berkeley would like Berkeley High seniors with eligible disabilities to know the following information:

CAHSEE High School Exit Exam requirements Changed for Students who have an IEP or 504 Plan

For more information contact Diane Colburn at Berkeley High (644-6120) or the Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund (DREDF) at 644-2555 or iephelp at dredf.org, and ask for an Education Advocate

Background:

Over the summer, the California Education Code changed to exempt eligible students from meeting the California High School Exit Examination (CAHSEE) requirement as a condition for graduation.

Students with IEPs or 504 Plans and who satisfy all other state and local requirements to receive a high school diploma are eligible for this exemption. These students will, however, be required to take the CAHSEE in 10th grade in order for their schools to satisfy the requirements of No Child Left Behind.

Yet even without the CAHSEE, students with disabilities take many tests. If testing accommodations or modifications such as extra time, breaks, or a quiet location are what a student needs to show they know the material, build these into the IEP or 504 Plan early in a student's education. The college board (SAT) requires that these be in the plan and that students regularly USE them before they will consider allowing them for college admission tests.

The exemption will remain in effect until the State Board of Education either implements an alternative means of assessment to demonstrate that a student with a disability has achieved the standards measured by the CAHSEE or determines that no alternative assessment is feasible.

For the complete August 25, 2009 letter from Jack O'Connell to County and District Superintendents and Charter School Administrators, go to http://www.cde.ca.gov/ta/tg/hs/cahseeABx4.asp