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District of Columbia Expands Opportunities for Adult Students to Receive State Diplomas

Thursday, January 21, 2016

Media Contact:  Patience Peabody 202-654-6120 (desk); [email protected]

In an effort to increase economic and educational opportunities for more District of Columbia residents, the Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE) can now award state diplomas to adults who have passed state-approved high school equivalency exams and programs.

OSSE proposed a change to state regulations that would grant the agency authority to award state diplomas to students who have passed the tests of the 2014 Series General Educational Development (GED®) or completed requirements of the National External Diploma Program (NEDP). OSSE, in partnership with the DC State Board of Education, launched an extensive public engagement campaign over the past year and a half that resulted in a proposal that the Board of Education overwhelmingly approved on Jan. 20, 2016.

The state diploma will be recognized as an equivalent to the high school diploma granted pursuant to the District’s graduation requirements, but will not be included in the District’s calculation of the adjusted cohort graduation rate.

“Currently, there are about 60,000 District residents whose prospects for financial success are limited because they lack a high school diploma. As the state education agency for the District of Columbia, we are charged with creating opportunities for residents of all ages to pursue and receive a high-quality education that puts them on a pathway to the middle class,” State Superintendent of Education Hanseul Kang said. “A state diploma offers an excellent opportunity to pursue better careers, greater earning potential and better life outcomes.”

The resolution was approved after three public hearings and three working sessions that began in November 2014, and research into the high school equivalency policies and practices in other states. The new provision recognizes that the GED and NEDP provide a level of rigor worthy of a high school diploma.

OSSE will be reaching out to District residents who passed the GED since January 2014 to provide them with a state diploma. Moving forward, District residents who pass the GED or successfully complete NEDP will receive a state diploma.