The study, conducted by Greg Marchant and Sharon Paulson, professors of educational psychology, examined more than a million test takers and every state's average SAT score. Their findings were presented at the biennial meeting of the Society for Research on Adolescence.

The results showed that the average score in states with high school graduation exam requirements was 34 points lower on the combined verbal and quantitative components of the SAT than average scores of states without exit exams.

"The results are surprising, considering the general notion of increased accountability leads to increased achievement," Marchant said. "For college-bound students, attending school in a state requiring an exit exam may put them at a disadvantage."

Currently 20 states have mandatory exams: Alabama, Alaska, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Mississippi, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia.

Five more states will be phasing them in during the next five years: Arizona, California, Idaho, Utah and Washington.

A possible explanation for the findings can be found in the nature of high school exit exams, the SAT and differences in instructional practice. Whereas most exit exams are achievement tests over specific standards or content knowledge, the SAT is a verbal and quantitative test of reasoning that predicts college success, not an achievement test of any specific curriculum. 

"Previous research suggests pressure to 'teach to the test' leads teachers to focus on specific content rather than innovative practices designed to stimulate critical-thinking skills," Marchant said.

High school exit exams have come under scrutiny from the Washington, D.C.-based Center on Education Policy as well. In August, the center reported that most exit exams were not helpful in predicting college success.

"Our study takes it a step further; not only are the tests not helpful for determining success, but they might actually be detrimental," Marchant said. "When standards that are designed to guide instruction become the focus of high-stakes testing, content and practice can be narrowed in ways that are counterproductive to the overall success of students."

The researchers included demographic characteristics in all of their analyses. Some interesting statistics include:

• White students scored 13 points higher on SATs if they were not required to take an exit exam.
• Black students scored an average of eight points lower in states requiring exit exams.
• Black students in the top 10 percent of their class and from families with higher incomes averaged 42 points lower in states with a required exit exam. 

(Note to editors: For more information, contact Marchant at (765) 285-8500 or gmarchant@bsu.edu.)