(NewsNation) — Oregon has eliminated the requirement for students to demonstrate mastery of reading, writing or math to graduate from high school.  

The Oregon Board of Education unanimously voted to extend a pause created by former Gov. Kate Brown in 2020, suspending the proficiency requirement in order to graduate, NewsNation affiliate KOIN reported. 

The controversial decision has been met with a lot of pushback.  

According to proponents of this change, such requirements were deemed unnecessary and disproportionately harmed students of color.  

“The report brought to light several impacts on students, primarily students of color, students with IEPs, and students who are English learners, who because of the requirement, were being excluded from learning opportunities at the high school level, because they were working on trying to pass a test,” said Dan Farley, director of assessment at the Oregon Department of Education. 

While proponents argue that these changes benefit marginalized students, some critics claim that the real winners in this plan are the school boards, the State Board of Education, teachers and principals. These changes lead to higher graduation rates and, subsequently, financial bonuses for educators and administrators, as a “no-fail” policy is implemented.  

However, concerns arise about the long-term consequences of awarding diplomas to students who may lack essential skills, potentially leaving them ill-equipped for real-world challenges. 

In an interview with Leland Vittert on Tuesday’s “On Balance,” former Republican candidate for Oregon governor, Christine Drazan, criticized the educational system for its inability to provide quality education. 

“We are looking at less scrutiny of schools as they lower expectations across the board,” Drazan said. “Oregon classrooms are failing our students. This isn’t just about students of color.” 

She argued that the focus has shifted away from teaching fundamental skills such as reading, writing and math, and has become more centered on achieving equity. 

Vittert argued that if the teachers, principals, and the Board of Education remove standards in education, they are no longer held accountable by graduation rates, effectively leveling the playing field by making everyone equally mediocre. 

Drazan countered by emphasizing the influence of teachers’ unions in Oregon, who have significant control over the state’s education policies.  

“Our teachers unions are the ones that are dictating what happens in our classrooms right now,” Drazan said. 

She further noted that the state’s extended COVID-19-related school shutdowns, which were the longest in the nation, revealed the power dynamics at play.  

In September 2022, a report from the Oregon Department of Education to the Senate Committee on Education recommended ending the requirement, because schools were mostly using students’ state standardized test scores, called the SBAC test, to measure whether they were proficient in essential skills, the Oregon Capital Chronicle reported. 

The education department had initially envisioned that students would demonstrate their proficiency in essential skills, such as listening, critical and analytical thinking, management and teamwork, through tasks like project completion, essay writing or practical experiences once they transitioned beyond the classroom.

The pause will now last through the 2027-2028 school year. 

NewsNation affiliate KOIN in Oregon contributed to this report.