Juniors will take the New Jersey Graduation Proficiency Exam, testing students in English and math in the computer-based exam.
The move is getting pushback from the state's largest teachers union, the New Jersey Education Association, which argues students shouldn't have to take a mandatory test to graduate at all.
The computer-based exam is aligned with the standards for 10th grade English, Algebra I and Geometry, Department of Education spokesman Shaheed Morris said. Students are required to take the test, and only those who fail will be allowed to meet the graduation requirement through alternative assessments or a portfolio appeal process, according to the state.
New Jersey has long required students to pass an exit exam in order to graduate from high school, even as most states have moved away from such tests. But what was once a singular test here has turned into a complex, confusing and ever-changing set of requirements since 2016.
The new exam will be in place at least for the classes of 2023 through 2025.
