The CAHSEE Is Unfair For E.L.D Students!!

By: Andres Munoz

The CAHSEE or as many of us know it as the high school exit exam, takes place every march for sophomores and several dates after that for the students that didn’t pass it the first time and for students new to the U.S. For those that are not familiar wit this exam, there is a math and an English part that you have to score a 350 on each part to pass, and you have to pass both parts. The exit exam is required to pass to receive a high school diploma, if UN able to pass both parts of the exam those students will receive a certificate of completeness, which is not a diploma and doesn’t have the same value.

For students that just have a short amount of time living in the U.S, they are E.L.D (English learning department) students that have a foreign language as their first language and they are learning English. Its un fair for these students to take the English part of the CAHSEE (exit exam) and be required to pass it, because they don’t have the level of English to take the test.” Students don’t struggle as much with the math as with the English part,” said Counselor Ms. Vasquez.” they should take a test depending on their time living I the U.S and based on their CELDT level.” Added Vasquez.” These students should wait at least one year before taking the test so they could get some language back round, because when students take the test and fail they

For these students that just arrive to the U.S, are put in all year English shelter classes and all year algebra classes to help them prepare well for the exit exam. There is also nigh classes at Chabot College and after school classes that help them prepare for the exit exam but results have prove in that it is not enough. “Placing these students in the same category is a disadvantage, that causes frustration, dropping out, doing poor, and just performing with negative attitude in general. This is because the students feel the disadvantage”. Said E.L.D Specialist Ms.DeLeon. There are 5 levels of E.L.D; level 1 is for those students that are living in the United States for their first year or that are new to the language. For those that pass, they go on to levels 2-5 as they go on passing each level one by one. Each term the students have the opportunity to pass a level and go on to the next, so students regularly take two to two and a half years to pass the E.L.D program. There are like 450 English learners and more than half have not pass the CAHSEE.
Taking the CAHSEE your first year as a English learner its a disadvantage and unfair, these students should be able to take the test when they are ready, if not they will do more than just fail the exam, they will give up on high school and fail in general.