New N.J. graduation test should be waived for the Class of 2023, lawmakers say – NJ.com

New Jersey this spring installed a new exam that high school juniors must pass to graduate. But a bill advancing through the state Legislature aims to waive the requirement for this year’s group of 11th graders.

The measure would remove passing the New Jersey Graduation Proficiency Assessment from the graduation prerequisites for the Garden State’s current juniors — the Class of 2023 — and have it treated as a “field test” instead.

Sponsors of the proposal (A3196) say the move is needed because of the negative effects the coronavirus pandemic had on students’ education the last two years, as well as mental health concerns among children that have gotten worse during the crisis. Adding a new test, sponsors say, would add to students’ anxiety and stress.

“The amount of learning loss has been huge since we’ve been in this pandemic,” state Assemblyman Ralph Caputo, D-Essex, a main sponsor, said. “Even after these kids have returned to school, they’re still facing a lot of challenges.”

“It’s a good idea to raise the standards,” Caputo added. “But the timing is not good. They need help more than any testing.”

The Assembly passed the bill 73-1 last week. The state Senate must now pass the measure before Gov. Phil Murphy could decide whether to sign it into law.

New Jersey law has long required students to pass an exit exam to graduate high school, despite most states moving away from such tests.

Murphy waived the exams for the 2019-20 and 2020-21 school years because of the pandemic. But they returned this school year as in-person classes resumed statewide.

The state Board of Education approved the computer-based Graduation Proficiency Assessment to test 11th graders in English and math for at least the Classes of 2023 through 2025.

Those who fail will be allowed to meet the graduation requirement through alternative assessments or a portfolio appeals process, according to the state.

The board also voted last month to require a passing grade of 750, instead of the 725 recommended by the state Department of Education. Some board members expressed worry the low scores would allow more students to pass who would then need remedial classes before college.

State Senate Majority Leader Teresa Ruiz, D-Essex, also appealed to the board for the higher score, saying 725 “is just way too low.”

Caputo called the board’s decision “educational malpractice.”

Under this bill, the exam would be a field test for the Class of 2023 and used only to help the state develop graduation tests in the future.

“The test should be used to see how much learning loss there is,” Caputo said. “Those that don’t do well, we can understand what level they’re on.”

The New Jersey Education Association, the state’s largest teachers union, and many education advocates are also against the exam, saying students should be able to prove their ability through coursework.

Union spokesman Steve Baker said the exam is “a new, untested assessment, being implemented in the wake of a disruptive global pandemic in a way that will create stress, anxiety and chaos for tens of thousands of families after two already stressful and anxious years.”

Leonard Pugliese, executive director of the City Association of Supervisors and Administrators in Newark and executive vice president of the American Federation of School Administrators, said New Jersey remains one of only 11 states the require testing for graduation.

“Why do we want to put another high-stakes stressor on kids like this test?” Pugliese asked. “Let’s relieve the stress.”

Jennifer, the mother of a special education student who is a junior at a Hunterdon County high school, said her daughter has been doing well in school but feels “defeated” by this test.

“Whoever thinks we’ve had a regular school year obviously doesn’t work in a school,” said Jennifer, who asked not to be identified by her last name.

Murphy campaigned on eliminating graduation exams, but the Democratic governor has yet to garner enough support in the state Legislature to change the law.

NJ Advance staff writers Adam Clark, Rob Jennings, and Tina Kelley contributed to this report.

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Brent Johnson may be reached at bjohnson@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him at @johnsb01.