WASHINGTON – August 16, 2006 – For the first time, growth in the number of states requiring students to pass an exit exam in order to earn a high school diploma has stalled, according to a report from the independent, Washington, D.C.-based Center on Education Policy, which also tracks significant changes in how exit exams are being implemented nationwide. According to the report, no state legislature adopted a new exit exam requirement in 2006 although Maryland, Washington, and Oklahoma are following through on plans set earlier to phase in exit exams. Of the four states scheduled to begin withholding diplomas based on exam performance this year, Arizona and California did so only after facing significant legal challenges, while Utah backed down from its earlier plans to do so. Idaho began withholding diplomas in 2006 with less conflict and controversy than other states experienced.

Meanwhile, most of the 25 states that currently require or are phasing in exit exams have moved to create greater flexibility and support to help struggling students meet the exam requirements. The report also notes that of the other 25 states, five now ask all students to take the SAT or ACT college entrance exams, reflecting the push to make college readiness a central focus of high school reform efforts. The new report underscores that exit exams remain a force in education, currently affecting twothirds of the nation’s 15 million public high school students. By 2012, the report estimates that exit exams in 25 states will affect 71 percent of the nation’s public high school students and 81 percent of minority high school students.

Although the research is not entirely conclusive, new studies suggest that exit exams may have a slightly negative effect on graduation rates, but these exams do not seem to rate very high on the list of factors influencing a student’s decision to drop out. Exit exams do seem to be having a significant impact on curriculum. In a survey conducted by the Center for the report, state education officials reported that students are being encouraged to take more courses in tested subjects, including reading, writing, mathematics and science.

“States at the center of the exit exam controversy are those now beginning to withhold diplomas, and they are trying to help struggling students without weakening the integrity and purpose of the assessments,” said Jack Jennings, president & CEO of the Center. “It is likely that the stalled growth in the use of exit exams is in part due to the fact that other states are waiting to see how legal and political battles play out before making their own decisions.” Generally, the percentage of students passing exit exams on the first try ranges from about 70-90 percent in most states and has changed only slightly since 2004. And while several states have reduced the gaps in pass rates between various subgroups of students, alarming disparities in exam performance still persist for minority students, low-income students, students with disabilities, and English language learners.

Cumulative pass rates, which show the percentage of students who eventually pass the exams by the end of 12th grade, range from 87-95 percent in the six states that reported this information. In addition, serious gaps for key student subgroups remain even after multiple testing opportunities. However, cumulative pass rates may not be very reliable, according to the report, because states use different methods to calculate them and may exclude students who drop out before the last exam administration.