Education A State Capitals Roundup

California Grants Some Test Waivers

By Linda Jacobson — February 07, 2006 1 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

Thousands of California students with disabilities who are scheduled to graduate this year won’t have to pass the state’s high school exit test, under a law signed last week by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, a Republican.

The law reflects a settlement reached this past fall in a class action brought by Disability Rights Advocates, a nonprofit law center based in Berkeley, Calif. The advocacy group filed the case, Chapman v. California Department of Education, in 2002 on behalf of special education students, arguing that the California High School Exit Exam is an invalid assessment and discriminates against students with disabilities.

“We commend the governor and the legislature for taking action to protect students with disabilities,” Melissa Kasnitz, the center’s managing lawyer said in a written statement.

Under the measure, students with an individual education plan who have met all other state requirements for a diploma, and received remediation for the test if the help was available, will be able to graduate whether or not they’ve passed the exam. The law applies to students on track to graduate this year, and was seen as an opportunity for the state to improve instruction for those with disabilities.

Events

Mathematics K-12 Essentials Forum Helping Students Succeed in Math
Student Well-Being Live Online Discussion A Seat at the Table: The Power of Emotion Regulation to Drive K-12 Academic Performance and Wellbeing
Wish you could handle emotions better? Learn practical strategies with researcher Marc Brackett and host Peter DeWitt.

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs

Read Next

Education Quiz Trump’s Surprise Freeze on School Funding—How Much Do You Know?
Test your knowledge on the latest news and trends in education.
1 min read
Education Quiz What Lowers Teacher Turnover? Take This Weekly Quiz
Test your knowledge on the latest news and trends in education.
1 min read
Education Quiz Which State Is About to Pass a ‘Science of Reading’ Law? Take This Weekly Quiz
Test your knowledge on the latest news and trends in education.
1 min read
Education Quiz What is a Project 2025 Author Doing at the Education Department? Take This Weekly Quiz
Test your knowledge on the latest news and trends in education.
1 min read