With the elimination of the high-stakes graduation requirement, students would be rewarded for successful performance in the classroom, giving meaning to their 12 years of schooling, rather than having their hard work and accomplishments overshadowed by four tests. Students' transcripts make their diplomas meaningful; these grades are better predictors of college success than even the SAT exam.
We must scrap this reliance on testing and emphasize effective strategies, such as high-quality teaching and learning, equal funding, stronger professional development, improved curricula and multiple measures of assessment, all of which can improve the graduation rate for all students.
Our schools are neglected and plagued by inequities in the quality of educational services and funding. We cannot enforce a mandate that has proved ineffective at improving achievement and disproportionately affects students of color and other students who are in the most need.
