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An exit examination is a test that students must pass to receive a diploma and graduate from school. Such examinations have been used in a variety of countries; this article focuses on their use within the United States. These are usually
criterion-referenced test A criterion-referenced test is a style of test which uses test scores to generate a statement about the behavior that can be expected of a person with that score. Most tests and quizzes that are written by school teachers can be considered criteri ...
s which were implemented as part of a comprehensive standards-based education reform program which sets into place new standards intended to increase the learning of all students. When any test is directly tied to significant consequences, such as determining whether the student may receive a
high school diploma A high school diploma or high school degree is a North American academic school leaving qualification awarded upon high school graduation. The high school diploma is typically obtained after a course of study lasting four years, from grade 9 to gra ...
, it is called a
high-stakes test A high-stakes test is a test with important consequences for the test taker. Passing has important benefits, such as a high school diploma, a scholarship, or a license to practice a profession. Failing has important disadvantages, such as being ...
. Many organizations such as the
National Council of Teachers of Mathematics Founded in 1920, The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) is a professional organization for schoolteachers of mathematics in the United States. One of its goals is to improve the standards of mathematics in education. NCTM holds an ...
(NCTM) oppose high-stakes tests in general, with the NCTM saying that "placing too much emphasis on a single test or on testing can undermine the quality of education and jeopardize equality of opportunity." At the same time, almost all states that hold an exit exam for graduation allow students to take the test multiple times and further allow routes to graduation for students that fail. In 2011, 24 states required passing a high school exit examination for graduation, and three additional states had legislation instituting such exams in the future.


History

Graduation examinations first appeared in the U.S. after the
Civil War A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...
, when the Regents Board of the State of New York imposed its first
exams An examination (exam or evaluation) or test is an educational assessment intended to measure a test-taker's knowledge, skill, aptitude, physical fitness, or classification in many other topics (e.g., beliefs). A test may be administered verba ...
. Outlined a model that a new educational performance standard should be set for all students, to be met by 16. Students passing a series of performance-based assessments that incorporate the standard would be awarded a Certificate of Initial Mastery. This certificate would qualify the student to choose among going to work, entering a college preparatory program, or studying for a Technical and Professional e, which would be explicitly tied to advanced job requirements. These standards would not be intended as sorting mechanisms, but would allow multiple opportunities for success; the goal would simply be to ensure achievement of high performance standards for the great majority of the nation's workforce. The states would ensure that virtually all students achieve the Certificate of Initial Mastery. Most of the current high school examinations are also given for the first time in the 10th grade even if US students are usually not expected to have completed high school until grade 12. In the United States
comprehensive high school Comprehensive high schools are the most popular form of state school, public Secondary school, high schools around the world, designed to provide a well-rounded education to its students, as opposed to the practice in some places in which examinati ...
model, all students are expected to complete 12 years of public education, with some students taking primarily vocational based courses, while college-bound students taking primarily academic courses, but education reform seeks to graduate all students with some work experience and enough academic skills to succeed in college.


Use

In states that require students to pass a high school graduation test, the students are typically given multiple opportunities to take the test each year, over several years. For example, in the State of California, students could take the
California High School Exit Exam The California High School Exit Examination (CAHSEE) was an examination created by the California Department of Education, that was previously mandated to administer in high schools statewide in order to graduate. The examination was suspended in ...
up to eight times over three years until the exam was abolished in 2018.


Controversy about exit exams

Over time, there has been debate about the use of exit exams. Opponents of the use of test-based accountability, as typified by the report of the
National Research Council National Research Council may refer to: * National Research Council (Canada), sponsoring research and development * National Research Council (Italy), scientific and technological research, Rome * National Research Council (United States), part of ...
on the subject, argue that the exams lead to more high school dropouts without increasing student performance. Others including
Eric Hanushek Eric Alan Hanushek (; born May 22, 1943) is an economist who has written prolifically on public policy with a special emphasis on the economics of education. Since 2000, he has been a Paul and Jean Hanna Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution, a ...
have argued that scientific evidence on this is lacking and that the use of these examinations is consistent with the standards movement for educational reform.


Alternatives

Students who are unable to pass the exit examinations given by their local public school may be able to use an alternative assessment to demonstrate mastery of the material. They may also be able to graduate from a private school or a school in another state by transferring their accumulated credits at the end of the last year of school.http://www.wrightslaw.com/info/advo.diploma.nars.htm


See also

*
List of standardized tests in the United States A standardized test is a test administered and scored in a standard manner. The following are such tests as administered across the United States. Ability/Achievement tests Ability/ Achievement tests are used to evaluate a student's or worker's ...
* List of state graduation exams in the United States


References


External links


State High School Exit Exams: A Challenging Year
- CEP study in .pdf format
''Children Left Behind''
- a documentary film about high school exit examinations {{Standards-based Education Reform Standardized tests in the United States