Gov. Chris Christie announced Monday that he wants to retire New Jersey’s maligned high school graduation exam and instead give students a series of tougher tests at the end of required courses.
Christie said Monday that moving away from the High School Proficiency Assessment, or HSPA, would produce graduates more prepared for college or careers.
The current exit exam is considered weak. It requires juniors to be tested on knowledge that they should learn by early in their high school careers. Critics also say that, despite tightening standards, it’s too easy for students to take and pass a less rigorous alternative exam.
The change is the latest initiative from Christie aimed at trying to raise the standards in the state’s public schools. While on average, New Jersey students are among the nation’s highest performing, those in the state’s cities tend to fare much worse.