SAN FRANCISCO—The San Francisco Unified School District board members have voted to grant diplomas to 107 students who were unable to graduate solely due to California’s decision to stop offering the California High-School Exit Exam (CAHSEE).
Prior to the state’s decision, the exit exam was offered multiple times throughout the year, as well as once during the summer. According to San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD) officials, In a recent decision, California Superintendent Tom Torlakson canceled the summer testing opportunity to suspend the examination as a graduation requirement over the next several years in response to pending state legislation.
The summer testing opportunity in July provided a final chance for senior students to pass the CAHSEE in order to graduate. Torlakson’s decision affected thousands of graduating seniors across California, leaving them unable to complete their graduation requirements. According to SFUSD officials, some seniors even had their colleges admissions offers revoked or delayed the acceptance process, due to the fact that they had not earned their diplomas.
On Friday, August 14, SFUSD board members voted unanimously to award diplomas to students who were unable to graduate from the CAHSEE, but had otherwise completed all other graduation requirements. This decision made San Francisco the first city to defy state graduation requirements. Superintendent Richard Carranza stated via Twitter, “We stand with our students and their earned diplomas.”
San Francisco’s decision to violate educational legislation requirements has received widespread acclaim and criticism. SFUSD officials stated that the decision to cancel July’s testing opportunity “disproportionately [affected] students of color, English Learners and socioeconomically disadvantaged students.”
Attorney General Kamala D. Harris released the following statement regarding the CAHSEE controversy in response to backlash for granting students their diplomas: “As the result of a thoughtless bureaucratic blunder, thousands of high school graduates face the prospect of not being able to enroll in college, serve their country through the military, or pursue other professional goals. This oversight creates real and immediate harm for these students. I look forward to working with our state leaders to fix this injustice immediately and ensure our students are given the opportunity to pursue their educational and professional dreams.”
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