Alternative Routes to Earning a Standard High School Diploma

Abstract

States are working to improve their graduation rates, in part because of No Child Left Behind (NCLB) high school accountability requirements. This is taking place at the same time that 26 states have implemented exit examinations to determine, in part, whether a student has gained the knowledge and skills to earn a standard diploma and be prepared for a career or postsecondary education. This study examined the alternative routes that states have established for all students with and without disabilities to earn a standard diploma. Across the exit examination states, a total of 46 alternative routes were identified, with 23 each for all students or only for students with disabilities. The nature of the alternative routes and their passing criteria are presented. Although the alternative routes were fairly balanced across groups in what they required students to do (ranging from waivers, to other tests, to project/portfolios/performances, to comparable evidence), overall those routes for all students tended to emphasize meeting the same performance standards as the regular route compared with those for students with disabilities.