The tests will be given after the student completes a course containing the Core Learning Goals. Students entering grade 9 in fall 2001 will be required to take tests in English I, government, algebra, geometry, and biology. However, students' scores on the assessments will be reported on their high school transcripts in the form of a percentile ranking. It is important for students to take the assessments seriously, because high school transcripts are used by businesses and colleges to make decisions about hiring and admissions. Maryland public school students entering grade nine in fall 2003 are slated to be required to take and pass the Maryland High School Assessments as a requirement for graduation.
Future plans call for additional assessments.
Students who do not pass a test the first time they take it will receive assistance from the local school system and may retake the test when local administrators agree the student is ready. The high school assessments extend these higher expectations into grades 9-12. The tests will gauge both school performance and individual student performance, providing valuable information to students, parents, teachers, administrators, and school improvement teams. The Maryland Functional Tests were developed in the 1980s to ensure that Maryland's high school graduates were competent in several basic skill areas. They were designed as tests to measure only the most basic skills and functional knowledge.