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October was a good month for the Palo Alto school district. Palo Alto and Gunn high schools both lived up to their high educational reputation by doing well on the California High School Exit Exams - considered one of the hardest exams in the nation.

The exams, which are part of Gov Gray Davis' program for educational standards, were given for the first time this year. Seventy-eight percent of ninth graders from all over California volunteered to take the exams. By 2004, the exams will become mandatory for students to pass in order to graduate.

The test is made up of an English language and a math portion with multiple-choice questions and an essay test. To pass students will have to score at least 60 percent in the English and 55 percent in the math portion.

Overall, the statewide results were low. Out of the total number of students taking the exam, only 64 percent passed the English part and 44 percent the math. Even worse was the result for Latinos and African Americans, of whom only 50 percent passed the English portion and 25 percent the math.

State Superintendent of Public Instruction Delaine Eastin said, "These results hold no surprises. We must remember that this test is the toughest of its kind in the nation and that many of these freshmen had not yet taken the course covered by the exam, such as algebra."

With such overall results Palo Alto and Gunn High schools' achievement is even more impressive. At Palo Alto High school, 810 students tookr the exam. Of these, , 95 percent passed the English section and 86 percent passed math.. But a further breakdown shows discrepancies along ethnic lines.

. While 100 percent of Asians and whites passed the English test, the percentage went down to 60 percent for Latinos and 70 percent for African Americans. In the Math test ,97 percent of Asians and 92 percent of whites passed, but the figures dropped to to 50 percent for Latinos and African Americans. School authorities are quick to point out that these figures, however, are still among the highest in the State for these ethnic groups.

For school authorities, a problem is that these results may so discourage students that they drop out of school. To prevent this, both Gunn and Palo Alto high schools have come up with different ways help ensure that their students graduate. Scott Lawrence, principal of Gunn, says that the number of students who failed the tests is so small that it's not worthwhile for the school to start a formal program.

"We have identified the students who didn't do too well in the exams and will deal with them on an individual basis," said Lawrence. These students will take extra tutorials and make up classes, which are already part of the schools programs.

Palo Alto High, on the other hand, has developed a more formal program. Starting early next year, the program will be divided into two portions. One will be for borderline students and will include peer tutoring, before and after school sessions, assistance from the math resource center, practice tests and group sessions with parents and teachers.

The second portion will be for students with severe academic deficiencies and will include six-week tutorials, test taking skill classes, summer school (supported by the district), literacy programs and tutorial classes.

All this will be coordinated by specialist coordinator who will keep all the records work with teachers, parents and students and with other matters. But this will need money, which is not provided by the state at the moment. At present the state provides what is called "mandated cost money," which funds administration needs related to the test. But budgets across the state will have to be increased to help schools set up such programs, school administrators say. .

Eastin, the state school superintendent says that "We as a state need to agree that the future of our students, and ultimately our society is important enough to invest adequate funding for the textbooks, teacher training, and additional after school and summer school help our schools need to get students to these new high standards."

But funding is not the only problem that critics of the test have with the exam. Complaints have been raised by parents and even some educators that the exam is unfair and will mean less local school control and more rigid curriculum. Both Laurence and Dreier say that on the contrary it will force schools to work harder with their students.

"The students will not be able to blow it off as just another exam" said Dreier, "for they will need it to get their diplomas."