Reporting assessment results to the public has been a part of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) since the early 1990s, with the reauthorization of ESEA as the Improving America's Schools Act in 1994. In 1997, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) included this requirement to make sure that assessment participation…

States are working to improve their graduation rates, in part because of No Child Left Behind (NCLB) high school accountability requirements. This is taking place at the same time that 26 states have implemented exit examinations to determine, in part, whether a student has gained the knowledge and skills to earn a standard diploma and be prepared…

The purpose of this study was to examine the alternative routes to passing the high school exit exam that were available during the school year 2008-09 to students to earn a standard high school diploma. The authors examined alternative routes in the 26 states with active or soon to be active exit exams. They documented the alternative routes…

In response to more than two decades of criticism that American students exit high school lacking the skills and knowledge necessary for a productive citizenry, states have implemented graduation policies intended to raise academic standards for all students. Such policies have included state and local district testing, development of exit…

In April 2007, Federal No Child Left Behind regulations were finalized that provided states with additional flexibility for assessing some students with disabilities. The regulations allowed states to offer another assessment option, alternate assessments based on modified academic achievement standards (AA-MAS). States are not required to have…