Why were GSSMD regulations proposed and adopted in spring 2004?
Education Code (EC) Section 51452 identified the Golden State Examination (GSE) as the means by which students could demonstrate their mastery of the high school curriculum and earn the GSSMD. Later, Assembly Bill 1266, Chapter 573, Statutes of 2003, repealed the GSE program. EC Section 51452 also stated that the State Board of Education (SBE) could designate other subject-matter examinations deemed appropriately rigorous as the means by which students could demonstrate their mastery of the high school curriculum. In order to continue the GSSMD, the SBE proposed regulations to allow the use of specified California Standards Test (CST) scaled scores, previously earned GSE results, or a combination of the two to qualify for the GSSMD. Those regulations were adopted at the March 2004 SBE meeting and became effective April 22, 2004. Regulations are available for viewing on the California Regulations Web Site (Outside Source).
