Governor Signs Bill To Allow Thousands To Graduate

Sacramento, CA — The bill provides for the California exit exam to be scrapped for some 5,000 students who had been left in limbo.

Governor Jerry Brown signed SB725 today.  As previously reported, the controversy erupted after the state’s education department created a loophole that prevented thousands of class of 2015 students from receiving diplomas.  That left some students unable to enroll in college or join the military.  The problem was that the state had allowed its contract to lapse with the company that produces the test, forcing officials to cancel the July testing.

The legislation by Oakland Democratic Senator Loni Hancock quickly cleared the Legislature this week.  The students are now exempt from taking the exam.  State education officials say they had expected lawmakers to pass legislation suspending the exam before the problem developed.  New testing is currently being developing to align with Common Core standards.