In order to receive a diploma from the state of California and the Burbank Unified School
District, all students must pass the California High School Exit Exam (or CAHSEE). The first
opportunity for all students to take the exam is in grade 10. If students do not pass the exam, they
have multiple opportunities to retake the exam in grades 11 and 12. In addition, the Burbank
Unified School District provides preparation courses to assist students who need additional
instruction. Students who finish high school without passing the exit exam may also take the
exam at Burbank Adult School.
Burbank Unified students taking the CAHSEE continue to show growth, according to
the latest data released by the California Department of Education. The new results show a
District passing rate of 94% on the English Language Arts section and a 93% passing rate on
the Mathematics section of the exam. Not only is this is an improvement over the prior year, in
which the District posted a 91% passing rate on the English Language Arts section and a 92%
passing rate on the Mathematics section, but this year’s results show an improvement over the
prior six years. In 2006, the District passing rates were 85% in English Language Arts and 91%
in Mathematics. The passing rates are based on the District 10th grade census administration of
the California High School Exit Exam.
The results of the individual comprehensive high schools, John Burroughs High School
and Burbank High School, demonstrate steady improvement. The John Burroughs High School
passing rate in English Language Arts is 94%, while Burbank High School is slightly higher
at 95%. The passing rate for Mathematics is 92% at John Burroughs High School and 94%
at Burbank High School. Both schools are well above the state averages of 83% in English
Language Arts and 83.6% in Mathematics.
Burbank Unified attributes the success of its students to a few different factors that make
a significant impact on student performance. The first is the expertise of our highly qualified
teachers in English Language Arts and in Mathematics. Burbank teachers implement a rigorous
curriculum that provides students with the knowledge and skills necessary to pass the exam.
The second is the opportunity for students who do not pass one or both sections of the exam to
take a review course to fill in gaps of knowledge and retake the exam. The third is the support of
the Burbank Unified School District’s parent community. Parents work with the school sites to
emphasize the importance of the exam, graduation, and college and career readiness.
