Pathways to Graduation

To receive a New Jersey high school diploma students must pass the traditional exit examination, the High School Proficiency Assessment (HSPA), or the Alternative High School Assessment (AHSA), previously called the Special Review Assessment (SRA). Both assessments are designed to measure academic proficiency on the state’s Core Curriculum Content Standards. Students who are English Language Learners have the opportunity to take the alternative exam in their native language. Special Education students may be exempted from the requirement to pass either exam through their Individualized Education Plan (IEP). The interactive report below provides data on pathways to graduation for New Jersey students beginning in 2002-03. Data are presented at the state, district and school level. 

New Jersey recently transitioned to a new graduation rate formula, the federally-mandated adjusted cohort formula, which follows individual students through their high school careers to determine how many graduate. These new graduation rates can be viewed by clicking on the tab titled “Grad Rates” located above the title.