“Far too many high school students drop out of school long before graduation day. Nationwide it is reported that only 71 percent of students graduate from high school and only about half of Black and Latino students graduate.^{”  which was} national high school center.

At my high school 10 percent of high school students have dropped out. This year the senior class has the lowest graduates in our schools history. So what really going on? Why are kids dropping out of school? Don’t they know that education is the key? Knowledge is power. “ I can make as much money selling weed then working at burger king” a high school junior stated.  I say out of ignorance. Yes, you may if working at a fast food restaurant is all you see yourself doing in life. But, not to mention the chance of being caught and being sent to jail! A high School diploma is the first steep to a successful education and if you don’t have that, it doesn’t mean that you have to quit. You can get a GED. Yes you would have to work harder but, the success in the end will be all worth it.

I decided to dig deeper in to the situation and really try to figure out why high school students are dropping out of school. In California in order you have to pass the High.  School Exit Exam! Which is based on 7^th and 8^th grade English and math. 200 seniors at my school have not passed this test yet. This test is bacically the golden ticket to be able to walk the stage at the end of senior year. So many senior have dropped out of school because the haven’t passed this test. The California High School Exit Exam (or CAHSEE) is a requirement for high school graduation in the state of California, created by the California Department of Education to improve the academic performance of California high school students, and especially of high school graduates, in the areas of reading, writing, and mathematics; public school students must pass the exam before they can receive a high school diploma, regardless of any other graduation requirements.

More Information about  the CAHESS?

The CAHSEE is divided into two main sections: English-language arts (ELA) and mathematics.^[1] The English section includes 79 multiple choice questions, and requires students to respond to a prompt with a 2 1/2 page essay.^[4] The mathematics section consists of 92 multiple choice questions.^[5] Scores are scaled out of a possible 450 points on each section. The essay portion is scaled out of one to four (with zeros given in special cases, such as for off-topic or non-English responses).

The English section tests students at an 8th-grade level, and requires a score of 60% to pass; the mathematics section tests students at a 7th-grade level, and requires a score of 55% to pass.^[2] Students are offered six chances to pass each test, beginning in their sophomore year but must retake the entire test each time, not just the section or sections they have not yet passed.^{[1]………..}