Public school students have to pass a series of subject area assessments before they are graduated.
The No Child Left Behind legislation was enacted in 2001 as a way to address the decline of student achievement in American schools. It consists of accountability measures that state and local school districts must meet in order to ensure that all students perform on grade level, especially in reading and math by 2014. This federal act stipulated that schools establish a system of assessment to gauge student progress. States were given the authority to design the specifics of their testing programs, but most have similar requirements.
Math
NCLB requires high school seniors in all states to pass an assessment in math. Most states choose Algebra I as the math area to measure students' proficiency. Although Algebra I is not the highest level math that most students take in high school, it does cover a wide range of reasoning and calculating skills. High-school students usually take Algebra I during their freshman year. This gives struggling students three more years to take the test and be eligible for graduation.
Language Arts
NCLB mandates that all states also require students to show proficiency in reading and writing. In high school, these skills are tested in the subject area of English. Although test formats vary by state, the English exam usually consists of several parts---reading comprehension, usage and mechanics; and a writing portion. The test is standardized except for the writing part. Students are given a prompt and their responses are evaluated for content and quality. This test is given during the sophomore year, giving students several chances to pass before the end of high school.
Science
NCLB has slightly different requirements for science assessment. Whereas reading and math are tested each year beginning in 3rd grade, students are tested in science at least once in grades 3 through 5, once in grades 6 through 9, and once in grades 10 through 12. The subject tested most often in high school is Biology I, an overview of life sciences, usually in the sophomore year.
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