April 9, 2025
By Zana Lacka
Staff Writer
While assessments are a traditional part of learning, the New Jersey Department of Education should reconsider its graduation test, the New Jersey Graduation Proficiency Assessment. This exam, which public high schools administer to juniors, is a waste of resources and a source of anxiety.
New Jersey should follow the lead of Massachusetts, ranked No. 1 in K-12 education by U.S. News & World Report, which passed a ballot initiative in 2024 that repealed the requirement for students to pass the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System to receive a high school diploma. Schools will continue administering the test, but a passing score will not be required to earn a diploma.
Similarly, New York, ranked fifth nationally in K-12 education, declared in November 2024 that beginning in the 2027-2028 school year, students taking Regents exams in English, math, science and social studies will no longer need a passing score, as they will be able to demonstrate proficiency through alternatives like capstone projects and community service, according to U.S. News & World Report.
It is time for No. 2-ranked New Jersey to join Massachusetts, New York and the 44 other states that do not require a graduation test.
According to the Honor Society Foundation, an organization that connects students and provides scholarships, research consistently shows that students from low-income backgrounds, racial and ethnic minorities and English language learners tend to score lower on standardized tests.
The main reason New Jersey should do away with its state test is that it does not always reflect students’ academic ability. This finding is supported by data from the University of Chicago Consortium on School Research, which revealed that high school GPAs are the best predictor of a student’s success in college. The correlation between test scores and college success is not nearly as strong.
Furthermore, state testing causes test exhaustion for students who already face assessments, including Advanced Placement tests and SATs.
Even if students do not have test fatigue, they are likely to face test anxiety. According to the University of California, Los Angeles School Mental Health Project, it is estimated that 40-60% of students are negatively affected by test anxiety. Students’ nervousness is understandable when faced with the pressure of a high-stakes graduation test.
Additionally, state tests take a lot of time. For instance, the NJGPA, which faculty administered at LHS over the course of four days last month, led to the loss of about eight hours of instructional time. This prolonged assessment negatively impacted learning and disrupted the flow of the school week.
Finally, state testing is inequitable. According to the Honor Society Foundation, an organization that connects students and provides scholarships, research consistently shows that students from low-income backgrounds, racial and ethnic minorities and English language learners tend to score lower on standardized tests.
It has become clear that New Jersey’s graduation assessment is an outdated and unnecessary exam. Therefore, it is time for the state to eliminate it and move toward a brighter future in public education.
