A new report from The National Center for Fair and Open Testing, shows that New Jersey is among nine states still require high school exit exams as a graduation requirement for their students. In February 2024, lawmakers in Trenton introduced measures to do away with the test requirements. Senate bill 3308 and its Assembly companion would prohibit the state board of education from requiring students to pass any standardized test in order to graduate.
Opponents of high school exit exams have criticized them for being an inaccurate measure of student learning; placing students of color, English learners, and students with disabilities at a disadvantage; and rewarding students for memorizing facts rather than demonstrating true mastery of academic concepts.
Whether a student passes an exam can have major consequences for their future. A recent study on the impact of these exams on graduation rates in Massachusetts found that students who barely passed the exit exam in math were more likely to graduate than students who just barely missed the score to pass, even if the scores were only off by a fraction, suggesting potentially drastically different outcomes for similar students.
Many of the exams, including those in New Jersey, are given to students before 12th grade, and students often have multiple opportunities to pass. Opponents argue that not doing well on those exams shouldn’t prevent a student from graduating, especially if they can demonstrate mastery in another way.
The New Jersey bills have been referred to committee for consideration but have not yet been heard.
