(August 15, 2006) California Chamber of Commerce President Allan Zaremberg released the following statement today on the First District Court of Appeal’s ruling to uphold the California High School Exit Exam (CAHSEE).

“The court has recognized the Legislature’s intent that the CAHSEE serve as a tool ensuring high school students acquire basic skills in English and math. The business community is significantly affected by high school students who graduate without basic English and math skills, as they are unable to succeed in the workforce or continue on to higher education without costly and redundant remedial education.

“With the CAHSEE in place, California’s successful high school graduates will benefit the state and national economies. The CAHSEE is a mechanism that ensures graduating high school seniors obtain the requisite knowledge and skills needed to succeed and will help students become better prepared to take advantage of economic, political and social opportunities.”

The Chamber, California Business Roundtable, and California Business for Education Excellence filed an amicus brief in an appeal of O’Connell v. Superior Court (Alameda) in June.

In 1999 the CAHSEE was passed by the Legislature and signed into law by the Governor. The CAHSEE was designed to address deficiencies in California’s public school system, specifically a lack of uniformity in high school graduation standards among California’s 1,003 school districts.

The class of 2006 was the first required to pass the CAHSEE in order to graduate from high school. Test results from that class illustrate that the CAHSEE is an effective tool in identifying students in danger of completing high school without fundamental English and math skills. With each test administration, more and more students are passing the exam, demonstrating they have acquired basic aptitude in English and math.

Click here to read the court’s opinion.

Staff Contact: Erika Frank