Title page
Contents
Why this study? 2
Research questions 5
Findings 7
Limitations 14
Implications 14
References 16
Table 1. Subject tests and scoring for high school equivalency exams 4
Table 2. Demographic and academic characteristics of high school equivalency exam takers in the study sample and non-exam takers in New Jersey from the same grade 8 cohorts 8
Table 3. First-attempt passing rates and ever-passing rates on high school equivalency exams under NJDOE's original passing thresholds, by demographic and academic characteristics, 2014-18 10
Table 4. First-attempt passing rates and ever-passing rates on high school equivalency exams under NJDOE's original passing thresholds, by subject test, 2014-18 11
Figure 1. Most high school equivalency exam takers in the study sample attempted the TASC, but the percentage who attempted the HiSET increased between 2014/15 and 2018/19 7
Figure 2. Higher percentages of high school equivalency exam takers in the study sample passed the TASC than the HiSET or GED under NJDOE's original passing thresholds, 2014-18 9
Figure 3. Passing rates on the GED and the HiSET were higher under NJDOE's new passing thresholds than under the original thresholds, 2014-18 12
Figure 4. Among high school equivalency exam takers with similar grade 8 standardized test scores, the first-attempt passing rate was lower for the GED than for the HiSET and the TASC under... 13
Figure 5. Among high school equivalency exam takers with similar grade 8 standardized test scores and demographic characteristics, the first-attempt passing rate was substantially higher for the... 14
Boxes
Box 1. Key terms 3
Box 2. Data sources, sample, and methods 6
Maps
Map 1. Accessibility of high school equivalency exams in New Jersey, 2020 5