Actually, not really...most of these graduation tests assess really minimal competencies. It's what happens when parents and elementary school teachers believe that children who fail will have their fragile self esteems irreparably damaged, so they promote children who can't read, write, or do math.
The graduation tests were implemented as a result of businesses complaining about students graduating without being able to read, write or do math (those ex-students make poor employees) -- but now the school boards are caught between parental taxpayers complaining and business-owning taxpayers complaining.