Exit Exams Found to Depress H.S. Graduation Rates

A study using more than 25 years of data suggests that state exit exams—especially the more challenging ones—are leading to lower high school graduation rates. The high-stakes tests are also spurring more students to pursue a General Educational Development, or GED, credential, the study finds.

The new analysis by a sociology professor and two graduate students was expected to be published in the June 21 issue of Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis , a peer-reviewed journal put out by the Washington-based American Educational Research Association.

Nearly half of all states are requiring students in the class of 2006 to pass a high school exit examination to graduate, the study notes. Typically, students get multiple chances to pass,...