Exit Scramble

States that rushed to tie high school graduation to passing a high-stakes test now face pressure to come up with alternatives, even as critics warn against a dilution of standards.

By Michele McNeil | Ed Week
August 11, 2008

A decade-long push by states to make high school students pass an exit exam before getting their diplomas has stalled as politically sensitive student-failure rates contribute to a growing public backlash against high-stakes testing.

Though 26 states have adopted such mandates—most of them since 2000—that number has remained static since last year, according to a report scheduled for release this week by the Center on Education Policy, a Washington-based research and advocacy organization that has tracked the trend for the past seven years.


States With Mandatory Exit Exams

By 2012, a slim majority of states will require high school students to pass an exit exam in order to graduate, although the number of states adding that mandate has slowed in recent years.
SOURCE: Center on Education Policy

Types of Exit Exams States Are Using or Plan to Use


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