WASHINGTON (AP) — High-school exit exams are on the rise and getting tougher, despite backpedaling in some states and backlash over students denied diplomas, a study finds.
More than half of public school students attend class in states with graduation tests, and the number will likely grow to seven in 10 students by 2008, according to the Center on Education Policy, a research group that advocates for better public schools.

Thousands of students failed to get high school diplomas last year because of the high-stakes test, leading to protests in Florida, Massachusetts and New York — all of which made at least some adjustments to ease concerns without weakening academic standards.

Still, the 19 states with diploma-driven exams generally kept their tests intact, the center's study found. Five other states plan to withhold diplomas by 2008.

The tests are different from those mandated by the No Child Left Behind law, which requires all states to have in place by 2005-06 tests in reading and math in grades three to eight and at least once between grades 10 and 12; and by 2007-08, tests in science at least once in elementary, middle and high school. Those tests are not tied to high school graduation

The exit exams now in place appear to encourage strong coursework and remedial help for struggling students, the study found. But the tests have hidden costs, disproportionately high failure rates for the poor and minorities and an apparent relationship to dropouts, it says.

"We have a serious problem with high schools, and this is one way to bring about greater rigor," said center director Jack Jennings. "But you can't just demand more. You have to provide a system to help kids succeed ... These tests are a good idea if they're done right."

In the 2002-03 school year, several states moved to tougher tests, added subjects and prepared to sanction students.

At times, it got messy.

New York nullified the results of a new, more difficult math test for junior and seniors after the passing rate fell much lower than the one of the previous year. Local officials got permission to give diplomas to seniors who failed the exam but passed their math courses.

California delayed the consequences of its exit exam from 2004 to 2006 after a study projected that about 20% of seniors would be denied diplomas next year. In Massachusetts, where diplomas were withheld for the first time, some students walked out of class and refused to take the test, often with support from parents, the study says.

Most states gave students another route to a diploma. Florida, for example, allowed seniors who failed the state test to substitute another one, such as the SAT.

The exit exams are given at different grades in different states. They test math and English, and some cover science and social studies. Also, all states with graduation tests give students who fail chances to try again, from two times in New Jersey to 11 in Minnesota.

In many states, 65% to 85% of students pass on their first try. But in states that provided a breakdown of data, scores were significantly lower among blacks, Hispanics, poor students, children with disabilities and those with limited English ability.

Costs largely pass to school districts, which cover remediation, front-end help for at-risk kids and professional development for teachers, the study says; developing and overseeing tests account for a small share of expenses.

"States should stop treating exit exams as if they are low-cost or no-cost solutions to reform schools," Jennings said.

The study aims to help policy-makers understand all the implications of the tests, particularly as many states consider using these same exams to satisfy new federal law.

For its study, the center collected data from the states, conducted its own reviews and incorporated other research in the field.

STATES WITH EXIT EXAMS

States that require high-school graduation exams: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Mississippi, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia.
States phasing in exit exams by 2008 but not yet withholding diplomas: Alaska, Arizona, California, Utah, Washington.

Source: Center on Education Policy