Montgomery, AL – The State Board of Education has approved an overhaul of Alabama's student testing plan that will replace the high school graduation exam with end-of-course tests.
The changes will also require all high school juniors to take the ACT college entrance test, with the state picking up the cost.
State Superintendent of Education Joe Morton said the changes will provide a better assessment of students' progress, and they will increase instruction time by reducing the number of days that students spend taking tests.
The school board approved the changes unanimously Thursday. They will be phased in over several years. The high school graduation exam will be eliminated for students entering the ninth grade in the 2011-2012 school year.
(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)