States vary in the grade-level content tested on exit exams. While a few states administer "minimum competency" exit exams covering content usually taught in grades 7-8, most state exit exams test high school-level content. A growing number of exit exams are end-of-course assessments, testing at the end of the school year material presumably taught during the academic year in which the end-of-course test is administered. When available, this database includes the level assessed for the state's entire exit exam, but in some cases only includes the level assessed for certain subjects.
Why does it matter? By aligning the exit exams to specific course content and grade levels, states can be assured that students are learning content at the levels necessary to succeed, and employers can be assured that students have the skills necessary to meet the high expectations of the 21st century workforce.
Highlights:
Methodology: This information was collected from state statutes, rules and regulations, and state education agency Web sites, and will be updated as new policies and programs are enacted.
Sources for all data points are accessible through this link.
Last updated: June 26, 2007
Research conducted by Michael Colasanti. Please contact Jennifer Dounay Zinth at 303.299.3689 or jdounay@ecs.org with comments or questions about this database.
Level assessed (if available) | |
Alabama | Entire test: 11th grade (CEP) |
Alaska | Entire test: 8th-10th grade (CEP) |
Arizona | Entire test: 10th grade (CEP) |
Arkansas | End-of-course |
California | English language arts: 10th grade (CEP) Mathematics: 6th-7th grade (CEP) |
Colorado | |
Connecticut | |
Delaware | |
District of Columbia | |
Florida | Mathematics: 7th-8th grade (Achieve, Inc.) Entire test: 10th grade (CEP) |
Georgia | Entire test: 11th grade (CEP) |
Hawaii | |
Idaho | Entire test: 10th grade (CEP) |
Illinois | |
Indiana | Entire test: 9th grade (CEP) |
Iowa | |
Kansas | |
Kentucky | |
Louisiana | Not available |
Maine | |
Maryland | End-of-course; however, Achieve, Inc. determined that the mathematics portion is aligned to 8th-9th grade. |
Massachusetts | Mathematics: 8th grade (Achieve, Inc.) Entire test: 10th grade (CEP) |
Michigan | |
Minnesota | Reading- 10th grade (CEP) Writing- 9th grade (CEP) Mathematics- 11th grade (CEP) |
Mississippi | End-of-course |
Missouri | |
Montana | |
Nebraska | |
Nevada | Not available |
New Hampshire | |
New Jersey | Mathematics- 7th-8th grade (Achieve, Inc.) Entire test- 11th grade (CEP) |
New Mexico | Entire test- 8th grade (CEP) |
New York | End-of-course |
North Carolina | Entire test- 8th grade (CEP); North Carolina also uses end-of-course exams |
North Dakota | |
Ohio | Mathematics- 7th-8th grade (Achieve, Inc.) Entire test- 10th grade (CEP) |
Oklahoma | End-of-course |
Oregon | |
Pennsylvania | |
Rhode Island | |
South Carolina | End-of-course |
South Dakota | |
Tennessee | End-of-course |
Texas | Mathematics: 8th-9th grade (Achieve, Inc.) |
Utah | |
Vermont |
|
Virginia | End-of-course |
Washington | Entire test- 10th grade (CEP) |
West Virginia | |
Wisconsin | |
Wyoming | |
American Samoa |
|
Guam | |
Puerto Rico |
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