Santee Sophomores Have Best Exit-Exam Passing Rates in Grossmont District

Santee 10th-graders are the most ready for graduation in the Grossmont Union High School District if preliminary exit exam scores are any indication.

Sophomores at Santana and West Hills high schools who took the state-mandated test in March had the highest passing rates in the district, according to data released Friday.

In English language arts, West Hills 10th-graders had a 91 percent passing rate. Santana’s sophomores led the math test with a 96 percent passing rate.

The chart [attached as a PDF] was released by schools Superintendent Ralf Swenson in his Newsline message online.

Helix Charter High School’s results were not available, with school Executive Director Mike Lewis saying: “‘Preliminary’ results are actually as estimated by Grossmont's assessment department. We do not have estimated results and are waiting for the official results from [the state Department of Education].”

Via email, Lewis said Steele Canyon Charter High School “uses the Grossmont student system and we do not,” referring to a data system that contains all student records, including grades, attendance and testing information.

Grossmont district has its own data system, but Lewis says Helix uses one provided by the county Office of Education.

But Monte Vista High School’s results may be the biggest surprise—with 90 percent passing the math test and 89 percent passing the English test.  

The other Spring Valley school—Mount Miguel—had passing rates in English and math of 74 percent and 79 percent, respectively.

Grossmont High School sophomores taking the March test had passing rates of 85 percent (English) and 86 percent (math).

“Districtwide, the passing rate in English Language Arts increased by 1 percentage point, bringing the first time passing rate to 83 percent,” Swenson said in Newsline. “The passing rate held steady at 87 percent in math, but with significant increases at Monte Vista and Chaparral High Schools.”

Swenson noted that the information is preliminary since final data won’t be available until results from the May makeup test arrive over the summer.
 
Scores from the California High School Exit Exam (CAHSEE) are the primary measure of adequate yearly progress (AYP) under the federal No Child Left Behind act.

“We are looking forward to the final progress report expected in late August or early September of this year,” Swenson said.