BOSTON (AP) — When Massachusetts voters decided to opt out of state standardized tests as a high school graduation requirement on Election Day, they joined a trend that has steadily shied away from using high-stakes tests over the past two decades.

Voting on the ballot question leaves just seven states with mandatory graduation exams, a number that could dwindle even more soon.

A backlash against standardized tests has been fueled by complaints that they take up too much classroom time and questions about how well they measure college or career readiness. It has gained momentum in recent years with equity concerns and learning failures during the COVID-19 pandemic.

In Massachusetts, a teachers union led the campaign against the graduation requirement, arguing that it prevents too many students from getting a degree and weighs too heavily on curricular options. The other side received the support of prominent business leaders, including former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, and state officials, including Gov. Maura Healey, a Democrat.

“We shouldn’t have different expectations for students based on the zip code they live in,” Healey said. “We should have a uniformity with our expectations and they should be high for our students and our families.”

Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System tests are given in math, science and technology, and English. The ballot question did not end the tests, which are also used to assess student progress. But their passing will no longer be necessary for a degree.

About 1 percent of Massachusetts high school graduates, about 700 students, are denied a diploma each year because they failed the MCAS despite meeting other requirements. Most are English language learners or students with disabilities.

Other states may abandon similar tests

In the mid-2000s, 27 states required students to pass an exam to graduate, according to the National Education Association, the nation’s largest teachers union. The states that still have them, for now, are New York, Florida, Louisiana, Ohio, New Jersey, Texas and Virginia.

In New York, state officials this month proposed a timetable for phasing out exit exam requirements as part of an overhaul of graduation standards. Students will still take Regents exams in math, English, science and social studies, but starting in the 2027-28 school year, passing scores will no longer be required for a degree. The plan would offer students alternatives, such as community service or capstone projects, to demonstrate proficiency.

Earlier this year, the Florida Senate passed a bill that would eliminate testing requirements for high school graduation, but the push stalled in the House. In New Jersey, a bill to end the state’s graduation exam passed the state Assembly last year but then failed to pass the Senate.

In Ohio, students must pass tests in reading, writing, math, science and social studies to graduate. Louisiana also requires students to pass a test and is the only state without an appeals process. In Texas, students must pass end-of-course assessments in algebra, English, biology, and US history.

Debate continues over how to measure training

Harry Feder, executive director of FairTest, which opposes the use of tests as graduation requirements, said it makes sense to move away from what he calls a “cheap and easy way” to drive education.

“What we want from high school graduates is not measured very well by a standardized test,” he said, including whether students are critical thinkers, problem solvers or able to collaborate.

Critics say lowering the graduation requirement will lead to lower standards.

“The vote against MCAS is yet another sign of the overwhelming power of teacher unions in blue states and will turn Massachusetts degrees into nothing more than participation trophies,” said Michael Petrilli, president of the right-wing Fordham Institute.

Financial support for eliminating the test requirement in Massachusetts came largely from teacher unions, including the Massachusetts Association of Teachers, which contributed millions in direct and in-kind donations, and the NEA, which donated at least 500,000 of dollars. Bloomberg, on the other hand, contributed $2.5 million to the campaign in favor of keeping the requirement.

Massachusetts Association of Teachers President Max Page and Vice President Deb McCarthy said teachers have spoken out against the requirement for more than a decade.

“Students who were passing their courses were denied their degrees because of this requirement,” they said. “Educators forced to narrow curriculum to teach to high-stakes test.”

In the end, Massachusetts voters approved removing the MCAS as a graduation requirement by a margin of 59% to 41%,

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Associated Press writer Carolyn Thompson contributed to this report from Buffalo, New York.