Why NJ Assembly Bill A4121 Is a Step Backward for Academic Integrity

New Jersey Assembly Bill A4121 proposes eliminating the state’s high school graduation proficiency assessment and replacing it with locally determined measures of “graduation readiness.” At first glance, this may sound flexible and student-friendly. In reality, it represents a serious retreat from academic accountability — and risks undermining the value of a New Jersey high school diploma. Don't get me wrong -- I like saving money (these tests often costs millions of dollars) and eliminating something useless, but the devil is in the details. Getting rid of a test (good) and allowing a district to make (and break) the rules (BAD) is a recipe for disaster. People that scream for equity aren't going to get it -- they will get a disservice to those students instead.

Without a statewide graduation standard in place, 600 separate school districts across the Garden State would be free to define “graduation ready” however they choose. That fragmentation is not equity. It is inconsistency — and it creates real consequences for students, families, colleges, employers, and taxpayers.

A high school diploma should mean something consistent no matter where a student lives. Under A4121, that assurance disappears. A diploma earned in one district could reflect vastly different expectations than a diploma earned in another just miles away.

Statewide standards exist for a reason:They provide a common floor of competence in literacy and math. Removing that floor does not raise students up — it lowers expectations across the system.

Proponents of A4121 argue that standardized testing is an unfair barrier. But the uncomfortable truth is that grade inflation and chronic absenteeism are already distorting local measures of achievement.

In recent years, New Jersey has seen:

• Seniors graduating with 4.0 GPAs

• Chronic absenteeism rates climbing sharply

• Students unable to pass a basic graduation-level proficiency exam

Those facts cannot all coexist honestly. When students earn top grades but cannot demonstrate foundational skills, the issue is not the test — it is the credibility of local grading systems. A4121 does nothing to address that disconnect. Instead, it removes the one independent check that reveals it.

Local control is an important value — but it must be paired with accountability. Allowing each district to define graduation readiness without a statewide benchmark invites political pressure, uneven enforcement, and lowered expectations, especially in struggling districts. Ironically, the students most harmed by this bill will be those it claims to help. When standards quietly erode, students graduate unprepared — and only discover the truth later, in college remediation courses, workforce struggles, or failed certification exams. Eliminating the graduation standards altogether sends a clear message: expect less, certify more, and hope no one notices.

Assembly Bill A4121 trades rigor for convenience and accountability for comfort. By removing a uniform graduation standard, it risks accelerating grade inflation, masking absenteeism, and diluting the meaning of a New Jersey high school diploma. Our students deserve honesty, not lowered bars.Our diplomas should reflect readiness, not just completion.And our state should lead with standards — not abandon them.