East Bay Students Show Steady Gains in High School Exit Exam Scores

More Bay Area students passed the high school exit exam in 2011 than ever in the 12 years since the state created the test, according to results released Wednesday by the California Department of Education.

, 80 percent of 10th graders passed the California High School Exit Examination this year. Of those who passed, 51 percent scored at grade level or higher. Students must pass the English and math portions of the exam by 12th grades to get their diploma. 

Statewide, 94.6 percent—or 422, 558 students—passed the English-language arts and mathematics parts of the test by their senior year and qualified to graduate.

(Click here to see the results yourself.)

The achievement gap between white and minority students continues to shrink.

The percentage of black students in California who passed the exit exam was 90.9 of this year's graduating class, up from 89.6 percent the year before. Some 92.3 percent of the state's Hispanic students passed this year, up from 91.4 percent in 2010.

Statewide passage rates for white and Asian students were 98.4 percent and 97.7 percent, respectively.

“It is heartening to see that our students continue to learn and achieve despite the painful toll that budget cuts are taking on our schools,” said state Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson. “The results of this year’s exit examination—and the progress schools are making to close the achievement gap—are yet another sign of the remarkable commitment that teachers, school employees, and administrators have to the students of California.”

More on SLUSD's Tenth Grade Results

• 916 students took the test
• Of the 497 males who took it, 76 percent passed and 45 percent scored proficient or higher in the English portion of the test, 79 percent passed and 51 percent scored at least proficient in math
• Of the 419 female test-takers, 85 percent passed and 57 percent scored at least proficient in English, 78 percent passed and 48 percent scored at least proficient in math
• Asian students got the highest scores in math with 99 percent passing, and Filipinos got the highest scores in English with 98 percent passing
• 86 percent of white students passed in English
• 75 percent of Hispanic or Latinos passed in English, 72 percent in math
• 73 percent of black students passed in English, 67 percent in math

Analisa Harangozo contributed to this report.