High School Exit Exams Hinder Common Core Implementation, New Report Finds

In the 2013-14 school year, twenty-four states required students to be proficient on standardized tests in order to graduate from high school. But starting next year, and in the years to come, states will launch more rigorous, college- and career-ready assessments aligned to the Common Core. As they do so, they should revisit the stakes on these tests for students and consider eliminating, or modifying, their exit exam policies, according to a new report from New America.

As states transition to more challenging academic standards – with assessments to match those expectations – exit exams will increasingly place two worthy goals in conflict: motivating students to become college- and career-ready and giving them opportunities to access the world of college and career. In making this choice, “The Case Against Exit Exams”  finds that states run the risk of weakening the intent of the Common Core and undermining efforts to increase rigor, build stronger curricula, and authentically evaluate students’ postsecondary readiness.

These policies choices are imminent. “The Case Against Exit Exams” finds that as many as 21 states could continue their exit exams as they implement more challenging tests, including 10 states that will be using the PARCC and Smarter Balanced tests in high schools. The remaining 11 are opting to use tests unique to their states in the near-term, even if they are also consortia members. The uncertain future of the consortia and/or the exit exam requirement in some states – including Arizona, California, Florida, Indiana, Louisiana, North Carolina, Oklahoma, and Tennessee – only amplifies the transition chaos for students and educators as new tests are unveiled. Further, Anne Hyslop, author of the report, finds that exit exams may be one reason for states’ hesitation to adopt new high school tests, based on five state profiles created for the report: the Honor Roll, the Varsity Athletes, the Exchange Students, the Loners, and the Drama Club.

Among states continuing high-stakes graduation tests, the report highlights six – Maryland, Mississippi, New Mexico, Ohio, Oregon, and Washington – that face the most nuanced and challenging transitions as they seek to maintain continuity in exit exam policies while making changes to the underlying exams. These states are deploying strategies to minimize the risk to students during the transition to new tests, as well as the risks to the quality of the tests if the results are used for graduation decisions. These include phasing in new requirements gradually, only using the results from lower-level subjects as exit exams, and setting two distinct cut scores: one for graduation, and a higher one for readiness.

While these strategies are a smart way for states to navigate the transition, the report concludes that states have other options, beyond exit exams, that allow them to pursue the dual goals of higher standards and higher educational attainment without pitting them against one another. States should consider applying standardized tests toward final course grades, or placing positive, rather than punitive, stakes on the results, such as automatic placement into credit-bearing courses at public colleges and universities.

“These policies avoid the costs of exit exams, like higher dropout rates for vulnerable students,” Hyslop explains, “without giving up on their benefits, including setting clear standards for high school learning, motivating students to reach higher standards, and providing a clear signal to employers and colleges that graduates possess valuable skills.”