West Contra Costa School District may grant diplomas to all who earn them

“It’s a moral decision,” said West Contra Costa County Unified School Board Member Dave Brown, describing the resolution that he proposed. This resolution, if passed by the board, would grant high school diplomas to hundreds of students who failed the much-maligned California High School Exit Examination (CAHSEE) but completed all their high school requirements and the “Senior Year Demonstration.” As the WCCUSD’s proposed alternative to CAHSEE, the “Senior Year Demonstration” would provide students the opportunity to demonstrate their preparation for success after high school.

“We can’t deny a diploma to students who have completed all their requirements,” Brown concluded.

Since the CAHSEE was voted into law, it has been highly controversial. It dismisses the labor, learning and time put in over four years by high school students, placing the weight of their diploma on the passing of the CAHSEE. Over 100,000 students statewide are expected to fail the CAHSEE in 2006.

In the proposed resolution, the WCCUSD Board of Education calls upon both the state and federal government to provide the requisite funding, policy and leadership to ensure that all students have access to the full range of educational programs and support services that will create broader opportunities for extraordinary academic achievement and successful preparation for life after high school.

“Our schools need to change. It’s about changing what’s happening in the classroom with teaching and learning — problems that are not magically resolved by imposing high-stakes tests like the CAHSEE,” said Olivia Araiza, program director at Justice Matters, an educational policy organization focused on racial justice in education.

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