Supporters say the bill would eliminate just one of many tests students take to gauge their proficiency. Critics say the move would lower standards. (Photo by Alexander Castro)
High school juniors could see a test required for graduation eliminated under a bill approved by the Assembly Monday.
The bill to eliminate the test, which is called the New Jersey Graduation Proficiency Assessment, passed 55-17. Supporters called the exam just one of many tests high schoolers are forced to take before graduation, while several Republicans said the measure would lower educational standards.
“Do not hand out a diploma disconnected from proficiency. I think it’s a huge error,” said Assemblywoman Dawn Fantasia (R-Sussex). “Students in New Jersey can do it — our policy cannot reflect that they can’t.”
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Fantasia said students who are about to enter the workforce or pursue higher education should be held to a high standard, and she claimed employers are already seeing a decline in the readiness of entry-level employees.
“If anything, we’re going to widen the gap between the diploma we hand them and their actual preparedness,” she said.
Assemblywoman Aura Dunn (R-Morris) said she understands the argument that a single test is not the perfect tool to determine whether a student is ready to graduate. But Dunn said eliminating it without a replacement only solves half of the problem.
“If we are serious about improving outcomes, then we must be serious about accountability. We cannot fix what we refuse to measure,” she said.
Gov. Phil Murphy in 2022 signed a law waiving the test requirement in the 2022-2023 school year, and lawmakers have subsequently tried to make that permanent.
Bill sponsor Assemblywoman Michele Matsikoudis (R-Union) said the data collected from the test doesn’t meaningfully reflect students’ learning, and she noted that other states have moved away from requiring students to pass a standardized test to graduate.
“New Jersey already gathers extensive student performance data through a multitude of other, more informative assessments and graduation standards,” she said. “This exam adds very little insight.”
Assemblywoman Rosy Bagolie (D-Essex) said her son, who sat next to her during Monday’s voting session, failed the math portion of the exam, graduated high school after passing the PSATs, and then finished his first semester of college with a 4.0 grade point average.
“Exit exams do not measure readiness for college, careers, or life. They measure testing under pressure,” said Bagolie, the superintendent of East Newark’s school district. “These exams disproportionately harm students with disabilities, multi-lingual learners, students from low-income families, many of whom have met every graduation requirement only to be blocked by one single exam.”
A companion bill was introduced in the Senate in January 2024, but it has yet to be scheduled for a hearing before the chamber’s education committee. The Legislature has until Jan. 13 to pass any bills under consideration before a new session begins.
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