Standards and School Dropouts: A National Study of Tests Required for High School Graduation

Catterall, James S.

doi:10.1086/443942

Cited by 48 publications

(40 citation statements)

References 12 publications

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“…I think a lot of [students who do not go on to college] would fall in that category. (Teacher, Georgia high-SES school) Like Catterall (1989), findings from this study suggest that school personnel and students have different perceptions about the extent to which exit exams are a true barrier to high school graduation and subsequent college enrollment. Specifically, at least some staff believe that high school exit exams do not limit college opportunity, arguing that resources are available to ensure that students pass the exam.…”

Section: Student Level: Testing Policies and High School Graduationmentioning

confidence: 74%

“…In contrast, even after controlling for other student characteristics including academic performance and earlier grade retention, students who failed some portion of the examination were less likely than other students to believe that they would graduate from high school. The self-reported likelihood of dropping out was greater for Hispanics who failed the exam than for Whites (Catterall, 1989).…”

Section: School Contextmentioning

confidence: 90%

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Barriers to College Opportunity

Perna

Thomas²

2007

Educational Policy

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This study explores the ways that state high school testing policies shape college opportunity among students attending 15 high schools in five states. The authors use multiple descriptive case studies to explore how testing policies influence key predictors of college enrollment (e.g., high school graduation, academic preparation, knowledge, and information) and a high school's capacity to promote college enrollment. The study identifies several unintended consequences of state-mandated high school tests for factors related to college enrollment and shows that the unintended negative consequences are greater at schools with the lowest average socioeconomic status and academic achievement than at other schools.

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Section: Student Level: Testing Policies and High School Graduationmentioning

confidence: 74%

Section: School Contextmentioning

confidence: 90%

Barriers to College Opportunity

Perna

Thomas²

2007

Educational Policy

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show abstract

“…High-risk students who passed the MCE, by contrast, showed an 11% decrease in neuroticism scores. Similarly, in face-to-face interviews with more than 700 students, Catterall (1989) found that failing an exit test was associated with a significant increase in doubts about the prospect of graduating (a nearly 1-unit increase on a 3-point scale of perceived chances of dropping out). Catterall's data did not, however, permit any inferences as to whether these reported doubts were related to actual dropout or persistence.…”

Section: Psychological Effectsmentioning

confidence: 94%

Assessing the Effects of High School Exit Examinations

Holme¹,

Richards

Jimerson

et al. 2010

Review of Educational Research

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High school exit exams are affecting a growing majority of high school students. Although exit testing polices were enacted with the goal of improving student achievement as well as postsecondary outcomes, they also have the potential for negative effects. To better understand the effects of exit testing policies, in this article the authors systematically review 46 unique studies that pertain to four domains of expected influence: student achievement, graduation, postsecondary outcomes, and school response. The evidence reviewed indicates that exit tests have produced few of the expected benefits and have been associated with costs for the most disadvantaged students. This review suggests policy modifications that may attenuate some of the negative effects.

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“…In a study in Minnesota, over half of those students who were informed that they failed their first exam express feeling depressed or embarrassed due to the failure (Cornell et al, 2007). Even though students have many opportunities to pass the exit exam, those who initially fail exit exams are also more likely to express doubts about their likelihood of graduation (Catterall, 1989, Becker, 2009. Researchers have tested the potential unintended consequences of high school exit exam policies, and there does not appear to be a causal relationship between exit exams and dropout rate for students overall (Bishop & Mane, 2001;Dee & Jacob, 2006;Jacob, 2001;Martorell, 2004;Warren & Edwards, 2005).…”

Section: Unintended Consequences Of Early Informationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Does an Early College Readiness Signal Discourage College Application and Enrollment?

Jackson

2014

Journal of Research on Educational Effectiveness

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States are currently seeking ways to improve alignment between K-12 and postsecondary education and better prepare students for postsecondary schooling. Some states have begun implementing policies that inform high school students that they are not ready for college level courses well before they graduate, in order to give both notice and time to prepare. However, if the early information from these tests suggests that a student may require remedial coursework upon entry to college, the student may be discouraged from attending college. This paper focuses on one state's effort to increase students' information about college readiness. Regression discontinuity design is used to determine whether a student receiving a signal that he/she needs remediation lowers the probability of that student applying to or enrolling in participating universities. Results indicate that the policy has had little to no impact on application and no impact on enrollment.

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Standards and School Dropouts: A National Study of Tests Required for High School Graduation

Cited by 48 publications

References 12 publications

Barriers to College Opportunity

Barriers to College Opportunity

Assessing the Effects of High School Exit Examinations

Does an Early College Readiness Signal Discourage College Application and Enrollment?

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