Options for Students Not Passing the Exam

The following possibilities currently exist for you to continue to pursue a high school diploma or equivalent without having passed the California High School Exit Examination (CAHSEE) by the end of your regular senior year:

1. Instruction through the Remedial Supplemental Instruction Program

   If you do not demonstrate sufficient progress towards passing the CAHSEE in grades seven through twelve, you are eligible to receive intensive instruction and services designed to help you pass the CAHSEE. These services may be received during your high school years and during the year following your grade twelve year if you have failed to pass one or both parts of the CAHSEE. You may receive supplemental instruction services for at least one year following completion of grade twelve.

2. Enroll for an additional year(s) in a public comprehensive high school or alternative education program until the CAHSEE is passed and a diploma is awarded

   If you do not have a high school diploma, you can approach the kindergarten through grade twelve (K-12) district of residency to obtain an education leading to a high school diploma. If you are age eighteen or older, the K-12 school district of residency has the option to place you in an appropriate program. This may include placement at a comprehensive high school if you have been continuously enrolled in a K-12 school, or at an alternative education program within the school district. Districts may restrict this possibility due to enrollment pressure, facility availability or other factors.

   If you are under the age of eighteen you must attend school and the district of residency is required to place you in an appropriate program.

   If you are a senior year student who has not received all graduation requirement credits you may also be reclassified as a junior to enable you to attend the school for one or more additional years, thereby providing you with additional instructional time and attempts to pass the CAHSEE and be awarded a diploma.

3. Maintain continuous enrollment in a public school independent study program until the CAHSEE is passed and a diploma is awarded

   Districts are allowed to provide instruction using the independent study method if you are nineteen years or older and have been continuously enrolled in a K-12 school since your eighteenth birthday. However, there is a cap of 10 percent on the number of continuation high school students at a site that can be served through independent study, with an exemption for students who are pregnant or are primary parents.

4. Maintain continuous enrollment in a public charter school until the CAHSEE is passed and a diploma is awarded, through age twenty-two

   You may be continuously enrolled to attend public charter schools from age nineteen through twenty-two. In addition, students may attend a charter school if it provides instruction exclusively in partnership with any of the following: (1) the federal Workforce Investment Act of 1998; (2) federally affiliated Youth Build programs; (3) federal job corps training or instruction provided pursuant to a Memorandum Of Understanding with the federal provider; or (4) the California Conservation Corps or local conservation corps certified by the California Conservation Corps.

5. Enroll in a California adult school secondary education program to obtain a diploma by satisfying the district's graduation requirements and passing the CAHSEE

   If you are over the age of eighteen you may attend an adult school in California. Capacity to serve adults is limited by the school district's state established funding cap. The CAHSEE is required for graduation from all California Adult Schools operated by K-12 school districts.

6. Obtain a diploma from a community college that awards high school diplomas through their non-credit adult education programs that do not require passage of the CAHSEE

   Some California Community Colleges run non-credit adult education programs and grant high school diplomas similar to the K-12 school system adult education programs. You may enroll in Community College non-credit programs that are not subject to the CAHSEE requirement. Each college makes a local determination regarding whether or not to offer non-credit programs, and some community colleges currently require passage of the CAHSEE if they have a partnership with a K-12 or high school district.

7. Obtain a diploma through a county court or community school program

   County Offices of Education operate County Court and Community Schools for adjudicated youth, wards of the court, and expelled youth. A County Office of Education may decide to continue your enrollment as long as you are over the age of eighteen and classified in grades one through twelve. Continuing education may involve a court order and probation department concurrence. Passage of the CAHSEE is required to earn a diploma.

8. Pass the California High School Proficiency Exam (CHSPE), for students ages sixteen or over, to obtain a diploma equivalent

   If you take and pass the CHSPE you may receive a certificate of proficiency from the State Board of Education, which is the legal equivalent of a high school diploma. Information is available on the CDE website.

9. Pass the General Educational Development (GED) test, a national program for adults ages eighteen and older, to obtain a diploma equivalent

   The GED is a national test for individuals over eighteen or who are within 60 days of their eighteenth birthday (regardless of school enrollment status). You can take the GED to demonstrate knowledge equivalent to a high school diploma. If you are age seventeen and out of high school for a minimum of 60 days you are also eligible to take the test. The test is offered on a fee basis at testing centers throughout the state. Information is available on the CDE website.