The CAHSEE requirement can be satisfied by passing the examination, or for eligible students with disabilities, meeting the exemption requirements pursuant to California Education Code (EC) Section 60852.3, or receiving a local waiver pursuant to EC Section 60851(c). All students who must meet the CAHSEE requirement, including English learners, will take the examination for the first time in grade ten. Students who do not pass the examination in grade ten will have additional opportunities in grades eleven and twelve to retake the part(s) not passed. Exempt students with disabilities are required, in grade ten only, to take the CAHSEE to meet the requirements of the federal Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), but not as a condition of graduation.

Subjects Covered on the CAHSEE

The examination consists of two parts: (1) English–language arts (reading and writing) and (2) mathematics. All questions are aligned to California’s content standards adopted by the State Board of Education. Content standards describe what students should know and be able to do at each grade level from kindergarten through grade twelve. Your school district can provide you with information on the content standards assessed by the CAHSEE, or you can download the CAHSEE test blueprints located on the California Department of Education (CDE) Program Resources Web page at http://www.cde.ca.gov/ta/tg/hs/resources.asp.

Requirements for Passing the CAHSEE

Students must earn a score of 350 or higher on each part of the CAHSEE (English–language arts and mathematics) to pass the examination. Students do not need to pass both parts of the examination during the same test administration to satisfy the CAHSEE requirement.

Students with Disabilities

Eligible students with disabilities are exempt from the requirement to pass the CAHSEE as a condition of graduation from high school (EC Section 60852.3). An eligible student, as defined in the law, is a student with an individualized education program (IEP) or Section 504 plan that indicates that the student has satisfied or will satisfy all other state and local requirements to receive a high school diploma on or after July 1, 2009. Students with disabilities are required, in grade ten only, to take the CAHSEE to meet the requirements of the ESEA, but not as a condition of graduation.

The CAHSEE regulations specify accommodations and modifications that students with disabilities must be permitted to use if specified in the student’s IEP or Section 504 plan for use on the CAHSEE, standardized testing, or for use during classroom instruction and assessments. Students who use an accommodation and earn a score of 350 or higher have passed that part of the CAHSEE. Students who use a modification and earn the equivalent of a passing score on one or both parts of the CAHSEE have not passed. Eligible students with disabilities, who wish to meet the CAHSEE requirement by passing the examination and have earned the equivalent of a passing score while taking the CAHSEE with a modification, may choose to apply for a waiver of the CAHSEE requirement from their local school board. (Although the waiver option is still technically in effect, the exemption under EC Section 60852.3 eliminates the need for the waiver for students who are eligible for the exemption.)

More information on exemptions, accommodations, modifications, and the waiver process can be found in the CAHSEE regulations. The CAHSEE regulations can be found on the CDE CAHSEE Administrative Documents Web page at http://www.cde.ca.gov/ta/tg/hs/admin.asp.

Test Variations for Students who are English Learners

Students who are English learners must be permitted to take the CAHSEE with certain test variations if used regularly in the classroom. For example, if regularly used in the classroom, English learners must be permitted to hear the test directions in their primary language or use a translation glossary.

Students who are English learners are required to take the CAHSEE in grade ten with all other grade ten students. During their first 24 months in a California school, English learners are to receive six months of instruction in reading, writing, and comprehension in English (EC Section 60852). During this time, they are still required to take the CAHSEE. All students must pass the CAHSEE in English to receive their high school diploma.

Testing Dates

The CAHSEE will be administered at the school site during regular school hours on the dates specified in the chart on the next page. Students in grade ten must take the CAHSEE during the (March 16, 2010 & March 17, 2010) 2009 test administration

For More Information...

For the latest information regarding the CAHSEE, please visit the California Department of Education CAHSEE Web page at http://www.cde.ca.gov/ta/tg/hs/. If you have any further questions about the CAHSEE, please contact our school office

at (619)263-2171.

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