Introducing a High School Exit Exam in Science: Consequences in Massachusetts.

This article examines the implementation and effects of a high school science exit exam in Massachusetts, introduced as a graduation requirement to improve STEM preparation. While overall science test performance improved over time, significant disparities persisted, particularly for English learners (ELs), who comprised nearly 8% of test takers but accounted for over half of those who never passed, and for students from low-income families who faced higher failure and lower retest success rates. Using a regression-discontinuity design, the study found that barely passing the exam increased on-time high school graduation and college enrollment, with notably stronger effects on high school graduation for female students and on college outcomes for higher-income students. The policy also influenced schools’ curricular decisions, such as increased ninth-grade biology testing, but raised equity concerns due to differential impacts on vulnerable subgroups, especially ELs and students with disabilities.