In a startling move, Gwinnett County Schools has decided to waive the requirement that the Class of 2021 seniors must pass the Gateway exams in order to graduate. The Gateway exams are essay exams that requires sophomores to write about science and juniors about social studies prompts. Students who fail them can retake them but they are required for students to graduate from Gwinnett County Schools.
This development also has the potential for 1,300+ alumni who never passed the exams all the way back from 2002. One reason for students not taking them this year is the inability for the district to safely monitor these exams during the COVID-19 pandemic.