Theresa Harrington

Richmond Loftier students talk nigh their options subsequently the July exit exam was cancelled.

Theresa Harrington

Richmond High students talk nearly their options after the July exit exam was cancelled.

This story has been updated to include a argument from Gov. Jerry Brown's office.

The land Senate on Monday unanimously approved SB 725, which would remove passing the California Loftier Schoolhouse Get out Exam as a graduation requirement for the class of 2015, and the governor plans to sign it.

The Senate besides approved an urgency clause that would allow the bill to become into consequence immediately, if the governor signs it. Both votes were 38­-0. Gov. Jerry Dark-brown has 12 days to act on whatsoever bill that reaches his desk this week. He plans to sign the bill, said his Deputy Press Secretary Deborah Hoffman in an e-mail.

"Students who've been accepted into college should non exist prevented from starting course this autumn considering of a examination cancellation they could not control," she said. "The Governor will sign this bill to ensure these students begin their college careers."

Sen. Loni Hancock, D­-Oakland, who gutted and amended a bill that previously dealt with visual and performing arts, urged her colleagues to support the legislation to permit students who completed all other graduation requirements to receive their diplomas, since the July administration of the test was canceled.

Sen. Loni Hancock, D-Oakland

Courtesy of Sen. Loni Hancock

Sen. Loni Hancock, D-Oakland

"We want to support our immature people moving frontward with their lives," she said, calculation that the nib had no formal opposition and received strong bipartisan back up in the Associates, where it passed 77­-1. In add-on, the bill was supported by schoolhouse districts, educational organizations and businesses throughout the country, she said.

Sen. Carol Liu, D­-Canada Flintridge, said a bill she has authored – SB 172 – will address the futurity of the exit exam, since the country Section of Education has non all the same contracted for another test.

"Students who have not passed have no manner to meet the graduation requirement," she said. "They should not suffer due to a lack of opportunity."

Senate Minority Leader Bob Huff, R­-San Dimas, and Sen. Jim Nielsen, R­-Gerber, criticized the precipitous conclusion to cancel the July test, which left thousands of students in limbo.

"Information technology'south mind­bravado to me that this even happened," Huff said. "Nosotros need to act swiftly to update the go out exam."

Huff said he strongly opposes Liu'due south bill because he does not want to return to the days of coursework without assessments of math and language arts competency. Nielsen echoed Huff's concerns, saying he does not want to get rid of testing.

"If test scores don't go up, what we practice is we stop testing," he said. "And at present, nosotros're doing information technology again."

Nielsen said he wanted to know who cancelled the test and why, adding that the "perpetrators" should exist punished.

"They demand to be known past proper noun to all of us," he said. "Is that available?"

Hancock said the state's $xi million testing contract expired. She urged the Senate to laissez passer Liu'southward beak when it is heard to permit the Legislature to expect at how to develop a examination with multiple measures aligned to new Common Cadre standards.

"The California High School Exit Exam every bit information technology exists doesn't test what we're teaching," Hancock said. "I think this is what government does when it works well. We find a problem. Nosotros fix the problem. We do it in a bipartisan style. We stand by our kids."

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