According to a new report by Linda Darling-Hammond and colleagues at Stanford University's School Redesign Network, state laws requiring students to pass an exit examination to obtain their high school diploma can harm students and schools. Evidence suggests that inflexible exit exam policies can reduce graduation rates (especially among minority students and students with disabilities); narrow the curriculum; and lead schools to neglect higher-order thinking skills. Additionally, graduation exam requirements can impoverish the educational experience of those students who do graduate, and overemphasizing the importance of one test encourages schools to narrow curriculum, focusing only on the objectives tested. While the report's authors applaud states' efforts to develop creative approaches to the challenge of raising high school graduation standards, they note a troublesome counter trend. The No Child Left Behind's requirements for annual testing of students in grades 3 through 8 have reduced innovation in state testing programs. The Stanford University experts suggest that using multiple measures: (1) Encourages teaching and evaluating a more ambitious range of thinking and performance skills. (2) Recognizes different ways of demonstrating learning, reducing the likelihood of inappropriate placement decisions for students with special needs and English- language learners. (3) Increases the validity and defensibility of decisions regarding who does and does not graduate. (4) Provides diagnostic information to improve instruction. (5) Rewards student investment in school attendance and course performance. (6) Encourages student engagement and increases the likelihood of students continuing in school through graduation.