A bill to repeal a state mandate that 11th graders in New Jersey pass a statewide proficiency test to graduate high school got another green light from lawmakers Monday.

Critics of the exit exam argue that research shows standardized testing is not an accurate way to measure a student’s knowledge. They point to studies showing graduation exit testing isn’t a good predictor of how ready a student is for college, and say the testing unfairly hurts students of color and children from low-income families.

“I would agree we need some sort of measure, but we — as the legislative body, as a state, as administrators and representatives — should ensure that this measure truly tells us the quality of the educational program that the student is receiving, not the wealth or poverty or where they’re coming from,” said Jamil Maroun, Manville’s schools superintendent.

The Assembly Community Development and Affairs advanced the bill unanimously, and it now heads to the full chamber for a vote. An identical bill in the Senate awaits a committee hearing.

At Monday’s committee meeting, school administrators and education advocates wondered why schools are still required to administer the test as more states lift the requirement — and as New Jersey itself has not counted the exam since 2019.