She figured Jesse would have trouble passing the state graduation tests, which are not required at private schools.

One of 19 states that requires a graduation test, Texas initiated the test in 1990.

In Texas, 59 percent of charter school students passed the statewide graduation tests, compared with 78 percent in traditional public schools.

Virginia's graduation test demanded only a sixth-grade education to pass.

That changes when parents are asked whether they support a graduation test if states give students extra help and several chances to retake the test.

If graduation test are to be given, they would have to be indiviudualized for each school district.

In other states, parents have sued school districts for failing to prepare their children for graduation tests.

Wisconsin recently withdrew a graduation test after protests swept the state.

A similar approach is being taken with graduation tests.

Nagashima was given a customized entrance and graduation test from his university, since he would have failed the standard tests taken by other students.