About: History: Test Development
Chronology of the Maryland High School Assessment (HSA)
1992: The Governor's Commission on School Performance recommends high school exit exams for Maryland students.
1993: High School Assessment (HSA) development begins.
1994: MSDE conducts public outreach forums on the proposed assessments.
1995: The Maryland State Board of Education receives HSA implementation plan.
1996: Maryland's Core Learning Goals, the curricular standards on which the HSAs will be based, are finalized.
1997: HSA test design is finalized.
1999: HSA item trials begin.
2000: The HSAs are field-tested.
2001: HSAs are fully operational (that is, administered to all students required to take them).
2003: HSA passing scores are set.
2004: The Maryland State Board of Education approves tying HSA performance to a high school diploma.
2005: The first class of students required to pass the HSAs or earn a combined score of 1602 on all four HSAs enters grade 9.
2006: A poll conducted by the University of Baltimore's Schaefer Center for Public Policy shows the majority of Maryland residents support high school exit exams.
2007: Maryland State Board of Education reviews HSA performance to determine if adjustments to the graduation requirement are needed. State Board agrees to add the Bridge Plan for Academic Validation as an alternative for passing an HSA.
2008: Maryland State Board of Education reviews HSA performance to determine if adjustments to the graduation requirement are needed. State Board agrees to add a waiver provision to the HSA requirement for eligible students.
2009: The class of 2009, the first group of students required to pass the HSAs, graduates from high school.
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