A Matter of Pride - High School Diplomas Are More Than Just a Piece of Paper
The following article is a feature article on navigating Georgia's high school diploma system from the Summer 2013 Making a Difference magazine. Click here to read the entire magazine.
A Matter of Pride - High School Diplomas Are More Than Just a Piece of Paper
By Alia Hoyt
One test was all that stood between Russell Padgett and his high school diploma. Although it was just a couple of thin sheets of paper, it might as well have been a concrete wall.
Diagnosed with autism at age four, Russell spent all but one year of his education in the Georgia public school system (his mother home schooled him in the 4th grade). "I tried to become an involved, educated parent because I didn't know what his true abilities were, just that he was really struggling," says Russell's mother, Teresa Johnson, a Walton County schools parent mentor and advisory member of the Georgia Council on Developmental Disabilities (GCDD). "We started working in elementary school to master the skills to get him all the way through high school."
Johnson, like many parents of children with developmental disabilities, has been Russell's staunch advocate since his education began. Parental involvement is always recommended for any student and is often an important factor in success, but it is also critical for each student to be their own biggest advocate and take initiative to ask specifically for what they want to accomplish and believe in themselves.
However, there are still barriers for many students with disabilities to confront in meeting Georgia's high school graduation requirements each year. According to the Georgia Inclusive Post-Secondary Education Consortium and the Georgia State University Center for Leadership in Disability, more than 1,400 students receiving special education services in Georgia are leaving high school each year without receiving a high school diploma. This is a number that needs to change.
Navigating the System
The high school diploma system for students with disabilities is often tricky. There are two assessment tracks available for Georgia students – the state required, standardized End of Course Tests (EOCT) or the Georgia Alternate Assessment (GAA). Although both can lead to a high school diploma, each has its different challenges.
The GAA meets state requirements to provide academic opportunities to children with significant cognitive disabilities, but it requires a lot of extra work from teachers and only one to two percent of students are placed on the GAA track.
For students to be eligible for a GAA diploma, they have to complete the state standard 23 course units, which includes instructions in English Language Arts, Mathematics, Science and Social Studies through access courses taught by teachers trained to instruct students with disabilities.
Additionally, they have to take electives, pass the alternative assessments, earn a score of Established Progress or Extending Progress on all sections of the high school GAA and reach either their 22nd birthday or transition to employment/training in which the supports needed are provided by an entity other than the local school system.
"If students complete the GAA they get a diploma," explains D'Arcy Robb, public policy director at GCDD. "But one of the problems with this type of diploma is that is doesn't open the doors that a real diploma does. The student essentially just receives a diploma in name, but that diploma will not be recognized if the student wants to pursue opportunities such as college, the military or technical schools after high school."
Russell, like many other students with disabilities, did not meet the criteria for the GAA, and was placed on the general track. When he was attending high school, in order to receive a high school diploma, students had to pass the Graduation High School Test, which was one big test junior year students had to pass to graduate.
Although Russell completed the same material as students without disabilities and was regarded as a friendly, capable student who steadily worked his way through math,
science and history curriculums, his disability made it difficult to express himself in language arts.
"He could read and understand, but not regurgitate the information," explains Johnson. So, when it came time for the opinion-based graduation writing test, "He couldn't even get a sentence on paper." The realization that her child would come so far to fall short in one area was crushing. "Here, my child has gone to school all this time and he can't pass the writing test, so he's not going to be able to walk at graduation because of this one test," says Johnson.
Russell could have opted to receive a Certificate of Attendance, but Teresa resisted. "He passed all of his classes, did everything he was supposed to do, but has one test hanging over his head," she says. "Sorry, you didn't meet the requirement, so you don't get to walk and just get a certificate."
Johnson felt her son deserved a full-fledged diploma and all of the advantages that come with it, so they looked at other options.
Because private schools do not receive government funding, they are not subject to the same state tests. Russell enrolled in Faith Academy, where he was able to complete the requirements to graduate.
"When I saw him come out with the gold sash on, that was a pretty moving moment for us," Johnson recalls. "But, how many people have access to that kind of opportunity for their kids that have enough intelligence to do well, but don't have the skill set to pass a graduation test? The message is 'thanks for showing up for 14 years, but you're not good enough.'"
A Changing System
However, some policy changes have been made since Russell's experience. The end all be all Graduation High School Test is being phased out and students now take EOCT to be eligible for a diploma. This became Georgia's official high school accountability assessment starting in 2011-2012. Through this system, all students must complete the 23 course units in English Language Arts,
Mathematics, Science and Social Studies, and then take and the EOCT in each subject.
For students enrolled in grade nine for the first time before July 1, 2011, the EOCT counts as 15% of the student's overall grade. For students enrolled in grade nine for the first time on July 1, 2011 or after, the EOCT counts as 20% of the their final grade.
This new system can be helpful for students with disabilities who can stay on track with the regular coursework, but it does add pressure for students who may struggle in certain areas or need more support to keep up and not fall behind. Because teachers are required to get through the entire coursework in the allotted timeframe, it makes it difficult for them to spend any additional time or offer extra support to students who might need accommodations to complete the work.
Although this puts extra challenges on both the students and teachers, this system means that the student does not have to rely solely on a pass/fail test to graduate. While each student must obtain a passing score on each EOCT, this grade is only a small factor in determining a student's overall grade to earn a diploma.
Though EOCT is a step in the right direction to improving Georgia's graduation requirements, there are still too many kids, both with and without disabilities, slipping through the cracks and leaving high school without a diploma that could open doors for their futures.
An Issue of Economics
A high school diploma is not just a matter of pride and achievement. It's also a direct line to future opportunity. Students without a diploma or with a GAA diploma are cut off from many options, including scores of employment opportunities, admission to two or four-year colleges, technical schools and military service. For a group that often has fewer than average options to choose from, this reality can be daunting.
"These kids with real capabilities, real dreams, want to go out to work, but we've created this barrier that makes it much harder for them to get a job or even qualify for a promotion if they are employed," says Robb.
"Regardless of what opportunities you wish to explore, obtaining a high school diploma can create a world of professional and personal possibilities."
For Russell, graduation was the beginning of a new era of possibility. Although he is still seeking steady employment, Russell (now 21), has volunteered extensively in the community. "While that (writing test) was a very negative part of his life, it wasn't the end of his life," Johnson declares.
Like Russell, some kids are fortunate enough to navigate the system successfully toward graduation, but there are still many who don't have access to the private school route when Georgia's system creates roadblocks for students with disabilities. The disparity between students who can afford private school tuition and those who can't is disturbing.
"Money should not be a factor in whether a student, regardless of having or not having a disability, graduates," says Robb. "We have created a group of people who are therefore more likely to be more dependent on the system," said Robb. "Without a high school diploma, it's much harder to find a job, pursue additional learning opportunities or even just be an active participant of your community.
Georgia has made improvements, but students with disabilities should have the same expectations as their peers, and we need to continue advocating for those opportunities."
* This article brings up several questions on how Georgia's system works. We would love to know your thoughts or experiences. Post them on our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/georgiaddcouncil or email the MAD editor at with your daytime phone number and the subject line "Letter to the Editor" for your comments to be considered as a guest blog on our website. (Note: Blogs should have a maximum of 350 words and GCDD reserves the right to edit each submission as needed and to choose whether it becomes a guest blog or to print excerpts of your comments in future MAD editions.)
