The Dean’s List

The Dean’s List


States are dropping high school exit exams, but why?

December 19, 2025

The Dean’s List with Host Dean Bowen – States across the country move to eliminate high school exit exams, arguing the tests no longer measure learning. New Jersey and New York highlight a broader shift away from academic accountability toward ideology-driven outcomes. The debate raises a central question: are standards failing students, or are policymakers abandoning standards altogether in modern public education today...