Then there's chemistry and trigonometry . . . While not exactly nervous about the lack of preparation, Corsello said she and her peers aren't confident either. They aren't the only ones. Also, thousands of children in the region still struggling to master English are now required to take the test in an unfamiliar language. It's like you and me being asked to take a test in Russian. . . .
Parents can request exemptions, but only a handful have done so, according to local principals.
Law requires children with limited English who've been in a school district for one year or less to take a test in their native language if one exists. ''It would give them a chance to show what they've learned,'' which could reassure teachers that children grasp subject matter even if they have trouble relaying it in a foreign language, said Bush. Testing in most Vacaville and Travis schools began on Monday, while some students in Dixon began penciling in bubbles on the new test late last month. In years past, California school districts had the choice of more than 50 tests. That could cloud comparisons of data from one year to the next, Bush argued. It will take 10 years to align the test with standards for math, language arts, history-social studies and science, according to Scott Hill, executive director of the Commission for the Establishment of Academic Content and Performance Standards.