Speak Out: Should SC End the Exit Exam Requirement for Graduation?

A bill that would no longer make passing the exit exam for high school graduation a requirement has made its way to the state's full Education Committee, according to an Associated Press report. 

According to bill H.3919, high school students would still take the exam but a student's score may not be use as criterion for graduation and a student must not be required to make a minimum score to graduate.

The bill says "an eligible student who previously failed to receive a high school diploma or was denied graduation solely for failing the exit exam may re-enroll in high school and will not have to pass the exit exam in order to receive a diploma. 

The bill also calls for a committee to consider whether the exit exam should remain the state's accountability assessment or should it be replaced with a different assessment.

Since 1986, South Carolina's students have taken an exit exam. In the beginning, the exam was called the Basic Skills Assessment Program or BSAP then later changed to the High School Assessment Program (HSAP) after the federal No Child Left Behind Act was passed. 

The exit exam, which assess skills in English language arts and math, is taken during the second year of high school. Students may retake the test if they fail to pass one or both exams.

Last year, 80 percent of the students who took the exam for the first time passed both sections, according to the AP report. Nearly 4,000 of the state's seniors could not graduate from high school with a diploma because they didn't pass the HSAP, the report said. 

To get a high school diploma, students are required to have 24 credit units and pass both sections of the HSAP. Students can receive a certificate if they don't pass the HSAP.

Speak Out: Should South Carolina end the HSAP requirement for high school graduation? Should the exit be replaced with a different assessment? Tell us in the comments.