Exit Exam Pass Rates Dip in PVPUSD

Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified School District 10th graders performed slightly worse on the California High School Exit Exam than the previous year's class, with 97 percent passing the math portion and 96 percent passing the English section, according to test results released last week.

Nevertheless, students in the district performed more than 10 points better than those in Los Angeles County and across the state of California.

PVPUSD's 2012-13 pass rates dipped slightly under the previous 10th grade class, which had a 98 percent pass rate for the math portion and 96 percent for English, according to the California Department of Education.

At Palos Verdes High School, 96 percent of 10th graders passed the math portion of the exam, compared with 98 percent last year; 97 percent of 10th graders passed the English portion, compared with 98 percent last year.

Scores at Palos Verdes Peninsula High School held steady, with 98 percent of 10th graders passing the math portion both this year and last year and 96 percent passing the English portion both years.

Nineteen students at Rancho Del Mar High School—the district's continuation school—took the exam. On each portion, 17 students passed. Last year, 11 students took the test, with eight passing the math portion and seven passing the English section.

Across Los Angeles County, 83 percent of 10th graders passed the math portion of the test—up from 82 percent last year—while 82 percent passed the English section, up from 81 percent last year.

Statewide, 84 percent of 10th graders passed the math portion, while 83 percent passed English—the same as the previous year's 10th graders.

According to the CDE, 95.5 percent of students in the class of 2013 across the state passed the overall exam, a slight uptick from the previous year. This year's pass rate was the highest it has been since the test was made a graduation requirement.

"Despite the very real challenges of deep budget cuts and the ongoing effort to shift to new, more demanding academic standards, our schools persevered and students made progress," according to Tom Torlakson, state superintendent of public instruction. "These results should give us confidence as we start the new school year, and our efforts to make college- and career-readiness a goal for every student move into high gear."

All students in California must take the exit exam during their sophomore year. They have two more opportunities to pass it in the 11th grade and up to five chances as seniors.

The class of 2006 was the first graduating class in California that was required to meet the exit exam requirement. 

—City News Service contributed to this report.