State High School Exit Exams: States Try Harder, But Gaps Persist

A growing number of states now use or plan to implement exit exams which students must pass in order to graduate. Achievement gaps on these exams remain largely unchanged according to a study by the Washington, D.C.–based Center on Education Policy (CEP). Due to a heavy concentration of Latino students in states with exit exams, a disproportionate number of minority students (82%) and English Language Learners (87%) will be taking them. The pass rate of ELL students continues to fall 30 to 40 points below the pass rate of other students. With the dramatic growth in English Language Learners in the U.S., it is increasingly important to identify strategies that will help these young people master the skills required for high school graduation. This report first discusses exit exams broadly: their characteristics, methods of assessment, standards, compliance with NCLB, etc. Later, it delves specifically into the conditions surrounding English Language Learners and exams, such as testing policies, graduation rates, and remediation.