Gilroy - Recently released data show more Gilroy high-school students are passing a state-mandated exit exam in their sophomore year, but also reveal that students who fail their sophomore year are likely to fail again in their junior and senior years.

Students must pass the California High School Exit Examination, which is first administered to students in their sophomore year, in order to receive their high school diploma. If they fail the test their sophomore year, they have four more chances to take the exam: once in their junior year and three times during their senior year.

The CAHSEE results showed a rising percentage of sophomores passing the exams. In 2004 sophomores passed the math and English-language arts exams at rates of, respectively, 68 and 76 percent. The following year the rates edged up to 71 and 78 percent, and last year sophomores posted 72 and 81 percent.

Yet, overall, a smaller percentage of 10th-, 11th- and 12-graders in the Gilroy Unified School District passed the mathematics portion of the California High School Exit Examination than in 2005. Results from the English-language portion remained flat. Compared to 2004, district students performed nine percentage points worse in 2006 on both portions of the exam.

This is, in part, the result of new methods of reporting data for the CAHSEE. Prior to 2005, only statistics for sophomores were factored into the analysis of the district. The performance of juniors was factored into the analysis in 2005 and both juniors and seniors were counted in 2006.

Upperclassmen also performed poorly in 2006, with only 40 percent of juniors passing the math exam and 37 percent passing the English-language arts exam, and only 42 percent of seniors passing the math exam and 28 percent passing the English-language arts exam.

Gilroy High School, which educates the bulk of the district's students, showed a consistent decline. While 68 percent of students passed the math portion in 2004, 64 percent passed in 2005 and only 61 percent passed in 2006. Similarly, the percentage of students passing the English-language arts exam declined from 76 percent in 2004 to 67 percent in both 2005 and 2006.

GHS Principal Jim Maxwell seemed unphased by the results.

"We actually think we're doing better than a year ago," said Maxwell. "Last year we got basically everybody through who was not an English learner student and everybody who was on track to graduate."

English learners, because English is their second language, typically score worse on standardized tests, including the CAHSEE.

To combat this, GHS has taken steps this scholastic year to help English learners and other students struggling with the CAHSEE.

The school is now offering tutoring sessions on the CAHSEE on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons and at "Super Saturday" sessions in addition to regular weekday tutoring. Also, the most recent group of sophomores who just took the CAHSEE were provided with state study guides and practice materials to use during the winter break.

The CAHSEE data also reflected a performance gap between genders. At GHS, while 60 percent of males passed the math exam and 63 percent passed the English-language arts, females had passing rates of 63 and 71 percent, respectively. At the Mount Madonna School, females outscored males by five percentage points on the math exam and 30 percentage points on the English-language arts exam. GHS Assistant Principal Stefani Garino said she did not know why males did worse than females.

Compared to countywide averages, the GUSD underperformed by 10 percentage points in math and 1 percentage point in English-language arts. Statewide, the GUSD was ahead of averages by 3 percentage points in math and behind by 3 percentage points in English-language arts.

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