Many states require that students demonstrate their academic readiness by passing assessments as part of their graduation requirements. This can be a mix of content assessments like English Language Arts and end-of-course (EOC) assessments in Algebra or Biology. Most states that require students to pass assessments to graduate administer them for the first time in the spring of their sophomore year. In the case of EOC assessments, students take the assessment at the conclusion of the course, which may be in their freshman, sophomore or junior year. Administering these assessments prior to 12th grade gives students multiple opportunities to demonstrate proficiency.<\/p>\n
For the students who had senior-year assessments or who had assessment retakes scheduled this year but were canceled because of the coronavirus, it is important to consider carefully how best to address their graduation. It would be unfair to deny them high school diplomas for circumstances out of their control. On the other hand, it may be unfair to grant diplomas if the students do not demonstrate the benchmark levels of proficiency.<\/p>\n
In the early years of states designing assessments for graduation, HumRRO conducted a series of research studies<\/a> on the implementation of the California High School Exit Exam (CAHSEE). One of the most important findings indicated that students\u2019 preparation in early high school varied greatly depending on which high school they attended and where they lived. The study helped convince California state officials to delay implementation of the CAHSEE by two years to allow schools time to address the disparity before holding students accountable. Currently, states face a similar fairness issue based on districts\u2019 reactions to the COVID-19 pandemic, namely varied accessibility to learning opportunities that would otherwise have been provided through traditional instruction.<\/p>\n<\/div>