The federal No Child Left Behind Act requires states to define
challenging academic standards and administer high-quality
assessments so that students, teachers, parents, and
administrators can measure progress against shared expectations
for student achievement.Elementary and middle school students in
New York State take yearly State tests in core academic subjects
to assess their mastery of the Common Core Learning
Standards.Students’ test results are one of the factors that
schools use to decide whether to promote a student to the next
grade. In high school, students must pass five Regents Exams in
order to graduate and may earn an Advanced Diploma if they pass
more exams. Read more about the elementary and middle school
promotion policies or high school graduation requirements.
Students in New York City also take tests to apply for admission
to selective schools and programs and to prepare for college.
New York City and New York State use test results to evaluate
how well schools are serving students. To