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View Winners → Former Pasadena Unified Students May Seek Retroactive Diplomas Beginning January 2016
Education Oct 29, 2015
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– Courtesy Photo
Former Pasadena Unified School District (PUSD) students who met other graduation requirements but did not pass one or both sections of the California High School Exit Exam (CAHSEE) may be eligible to receive a high school diploma after Jan. 1, 2016, based on legislation signed by California Governor Jerry Brown in October.
“Suspension of the CAHSEE is part of the movement toward building the depth of students’ academic knowledge and globally transferable skills such as critical thinking, communication and collaboration,” said PUSD Chief Academic Officer Shawn Bird, Ed.D. “While the state reevaluates whether a high school exit exam is needed, PUSD is preparing to contact and issue diplomas for students who met all other graduation requirements but have not passed the CAHSEE.”
Gov. Brown signed Senate Bill 172 (Liu–D, La Cañada-Flintridge) Oct. 7, which also exempts any student beginning with the 2003-04 school year from the CAHSEE graduation requirement, and provides that school districts issue a diploma to any student who has met all other state and local requirements for graduation.
SB 172 takes effect Jan.1, 2016, when PUSD will be among other California public school systems issuing diplomas to students from 2003-04 to 2015 who earned 220 credits and met other requirements to graduate.
District staff is in the process of gathering data to identify students who may be eligible for diplomas under the new law. Every effort will be made to notify them of their eligibility for a diploma. Similarly, a procedure for eligible students to obtain revised transcripts and diplomas in January 2016 is in development. The process for obtaining diplomas and revised transcripts will be announced publicly in mid-November.
SB 725 (Hancock–D, Oakland) was signed in August and specifically exempted the class of 2015 from the CAHSEE requirements. That legislation was prompted by the cancellation of the July offering of the test.
