Today, high school students have to meet a number of requirements to graduate and receive their diploma. Though education at Vignes ended after the eighth grade, attendees still had to take a standardized test in order to complete their education there. This was a county-wide exam administered at the county seat, which from the 1860s onward was Sturgeon Bay.

The exam was comprehensive, and included a variety of topics. Some, like U.S. History and grammar, called for rote memorization and were orally recited to the person giving the test. Other parts of the test required applied mathematics or identification of cities and geographical features on maps.

It was not common to attend high school in many parts of the state, so taking and passing the eighth grade exam was a monumental achievement for many local adolescents. While the test did prepare students to pursue higher education, it also placed particular emphasis on readying test takers for the work force as well.

Though many schools are currently moving away from standardized tests, this method of proving one’s knowledge and preparedness for life after the classroom was the gold standard for over 100 years.