According to data reported by California Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson, 92.2 percent of Black students had passed the California High School Exit Exam (CAHSEE) by the 12th grade, up slightly from the 91.8 percent figure posted by the Class of 2013.
While an improvement overall, the numbers for Black students continue to trail all ethnic subgroups and have continued to do so since 2006.
Additionally, a deeper look at the results show that in grade 10 only 59.5 percent of the Class of 2014 had passed the exam.
The jump between the passage rate in grade 10 and 12, was one of the things that caught the attention of Michael Watkins, and also concerned him. Watkins is about to begin his third term as the elected superintendent of the Santa Cruz County School District. He is the first African American elected to such a post in the state.
Watkins is also the Aspiring Superintendent Chair of the California Association of African American Superintendents and Administrators.
“I did note that among African American 10th graders only 59.5 percent passed the exit exam, but by 12th grade it was 92 percent. That tells me a couple of things: those who stayed in school became more familiar with the test and were able to pass it.
“But there is a significant dropout rate between 10th and 12th grades,” added Watkins, who also notes that the exit exam is the minimum standard for graduation. The fact that African American students are not passing the test earlier indicates to him that they are ill prepared to attend a four-year college.
Watkins says that 12th grade is much too late because the test only represents the minimum standards. He thinks better training must begin early—even at the preschool level.
Acknowledging another study that noted that Black children face more suspensions than other ethnicities at the preschool level, Watkins believes that teachers and other school personnel need additional professional development that helps them become more empathetic to the trauma that many Black students bring to class each day.
“They need to have a clear understanding of what issues families and students grapple with. If you provide teachers with training that is culturally sensitive and diverse, there would probably be less use of suspension.”
Watkins also believes that students who do not pass the exit exam in 10th grade need intensive intervention that not only addresses their academic deficiencies, but works to instill in them a culture of success and deals with possible feelings of low self-worth and lack of confidence within them that may be caused by their inability to pass the test. “They probably need social and emotional interventions as well,” he speculates.
Watkins also thinks there is a role for parents and other adults to play in the solution as well.
“They need to be an advocate for children. In other words, if my child did not pass the CAHSEE in the 10th grade, I would be asking my district to support his or her efforts moving forward. I would make sure there are efforts in place to (help them) be more successful,” Watkins said.
