That said, if the students who barely fail the HSEE are not much different than those who barely pass in terms of academic ability, school counselors and teachers should encourage students to retake the test and reduce the stigma of retesting to offset any “discouragement” effects (Cornell et al., 2006). Other guidance and remedial courses might reduce students’ perceived cost of retaking the test and increase the probability of staying in high school if they fail (Reardon et al., 2008), although the cost of additional resources such as summer programs or after-school tutoring might be too high to afford (Jacob, 2001).