BATON ROUGE, La. -- The state is about to replace its high school exit exam.
Under existing rules, high school students have to pass the Graduation Exit Exam and meet other course requirements to earn a high school diploma.
But that system, which won praise for narrowing the achievement gap, is about to be scrapped in favor of end-of-course tests.
Those exams are designed to make sure students master basic skills in key subjects.
About one in three ninth-graders failed the Algebra I end-of-course test in a trial run in May and December. One in four 10th-graders missed the mark on English 2.
However, state educators say they are confident the results will improve when students have to pass those and other tests to get a high school diploma.
"Once people understand that the test counts, you will see a big difference," said Nancy Beben, director of the Division of Curriculum Standards for the state Department of Education.
The Center on Education Policy in Washington, D.C., a nonprofit group, issued a report Thursday that said Louisiana is one of 24 states that require high school students to pass an exit exam before they can graduate.
The group has reviewed high school exit test policies across the nation for eight years.
Under current rules, public school students in Louisiana have to pass tests on math, English and either science or social studies to meet the GEE rules.
The report said that 96 percent of students did just that by the end of their senior year in 2008, the latest tally available.
But starting with some eighth-graders this year, and all ninth-graders next year, students will face new hurdles to get a high school diploma.
