A growing number of US states are moving away from standardised tests as graduation requirements, citing equity concerns, pandemic setbacks, and questions about their role in measuring readiness.

A backlash to standardized tests has been fueled by complaints they take up too much classroom time and questions about how well they measure readiness for college or careers.

When Massachusetts voters decided to ditch the state’s high school graduation exams on Election Day, they joined a growing trend that has steadily chipped away at the use of high-stakes tests for the past two decades.