Jan 02, 2018
Only 13 states – including NY – now require high schoolers to pass state exit exams to graduate.
While standardized tests aren’t going the way of the abacus yet, reformers are celebrating major changes in state high school exit exams.
As of 2018, only 13 states, including New York, now require high schoolers to sit for exit exams in order to graduate (except for disabled students, who are now exempt), according to the latest report from FairTest, a non-profit education reform group. The number dropped from 25 states as of last year.
Ten states now allow parents to opt their children out of taking exit exams. The opt-out movement has grown widely in recent years, with around 20% of students opting out of the NY State Regents exam each year since 2015.
States will still need to comply with ESSA requirements for student testing, although states can opt to use “nationally recognized tests” like the SAT or ACT in lieu of state-specific exams.
Alternatives to high-stakes testing exist in using big data, say some reformers, who argue that standardized tests and letter grades fail to reflect the learning dynamics over the course of students’ academic careers.
Sharp decline in high school graduation exams is testing the education system https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/sharp-decline-in-high-school-graduation-exams-is-testing-the-education-system/2017/12/31/662dc31c-eb5d-11e7-9f92-10a2203f6c8d_story.html
