When Albert L. Mion III received his diploma last week, he also earned a special designation on his high school transcript: a 鈥渃ertificate of mastery鈥� recognizing that he had passed all four sections of Connecticut鈥檚 10th grade achievement test with flying colors.
About 40 of the 511 seniors in his graduating class at Danbury High School earned the distinction as sophomores鈥攁 proportion that Connecticut officials hope will climb at schools statewide in the coming years. 鈥淚 put importance on it,鈥� said the 17-year-old, who is headed to Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach, Fla., in the fall. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a good accomplishment.鈥�
Nationwide, states are trying to raise standards and motivate students like Mr. Mion to take their schooling seriously, and many of those efforts are beginning to show up this spring on the diplomas and transcripts of the class of 2000.
More than half the states now require students to pass state tests to graduate, or plan to do so in the future. New York, for example, is phasing out a system of local diplomas and requiring all students to pass the more difficult state regents鈥� exams, which were once taken primarily by the college-bound. Others, like Connecticut, provide special recognition to students who do well on their exams, or stipends and scholarships for college. A few鈥攕uch as Delaware鈥攐ffer several levels of diploma based in part on students鈥� performance on state tests or plan to do so.
In part, states are trying to reassure employers, colleges, and the public that the high school diploma actually means something.
But states often find themselves in a quandary: How do they provide incentives for students at all points on the academic spectrum鈥攆rom high achievers who see high school exit tests as largely irrelevant to their college plans to those who are struggling to meet the higher standards?
Such concerns are especially important in the phase-in years of the new requirements. How can states be fair to low-performing students, who may not have been exposed to the tougher standards since kindergarten?
The issue is particularly serious when it comes to denying students a high school diploma, which most Americans consider the minimal ticket to success.
鈥淭he right thing to do is to get as quickly as possible to a diploma that actually means something, and that means ready for college,鈥� said Kati Haycock, the executive director of the Washington-based Education Trust, which works to raise academic achievement for all students. 鈥淣ow, how fast you can get to that, and what those standards really are, is easier said than done.鈥�
Need for Varied Incentives
At a meeting sponsored last month by the Brookings Institution, a Washington think tank, several economists urged states to consider 鈥渄ifferentiated鈥� credentials to increase motivation across the entire range of students and provide better signals to employers about the skills of high school graduates.
John H. Bishop, a professor of economics at Cornell University in Ithaca, N.Y., argued that such incentives as including test scores on transcripts, and requiring minimum-competency tests and externally developed end-of-course exams can help raise motivation and achievement.
His research suggests that minimum- competency tests may decrease the likelihood that some low-performing students will receive a diploma in six years. But, he added, such a requirement also increases the chances that less able students who do graduate will attend college and earn more in the marketplace.
鈥淭he more different levels of these things the better,鈥� Mr. Bishop said.
鈥淭he key is to get the incentives as close to right as possible,鈥� said Robert M. Costrell, a professor of economics at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. 鈥淚t鈥檚 not a surprise, nor is it necessarily a bad thing, that you鈥檙e seeing so much variation across the states,鈥� he added. 鈥淚t鈥檚 going to take a lot of trial and error until this is sorted out.鈥�
States should offer additional incentives for high achievers, he argued, but they should also have options for low achievers so that dropping out of school isn鈥檛 their only alternative to receiving a diploma.
Toward that end, Mr. Costrell has proposed a credential that would recognize certain noncognitive skills, such as good attendance and the discipline to stay in school, that are also valued by employers. 鈥淲hether they should all be called diplomas or not,鈥� he said, 鈥渋s another matter.鈥�
Many states have already taken steps to give lower- performing students a reason to stay in school. According to the National Center for Educational Outcomes, based at the University of Minnesota, more than half the states now offer a certificate of attendance in addition to a standard diploma. Nearly half offer special diplomas for some students with disabilities.
鈥楽omething Positive鈥�
Sandra Feldman, the president of the American Federation of Teachers, believes such additional options are necessary.
鈥淚n New York, we have been completely supportive of requiring all kids to get the regents鈥� diploma,鈥� she said, 鈥渁nd we continue to be very supportive of raising the standards.鈥� But, she added, 鈥渟peaking for myself, we have to start thinking about some differentiated diploma requirements to be fair to kids.鈥�
鈥淚t has to be done in a way that doesn鈥檛 create a diploma that鈥檚 meaningless,鈥� Ms. Feldman continued, 鈥渂ut you have an economy where there鈥檚 a lot of technical work that doesn鈥檛 require a college education.鈥�
Despite some concern that one diploma may not be enough, how many different diplomas or certificates states should offer鈥攁nd what they should call them鈥攊s far from clear.
The South Carolina legislature recently repealed the STAR diploma, which was provided to students for exemplary academic performance, because 鈥渋t led to a great deal of confusion,鈥� said Frederick E. Grieb, an associate in the state education department.
Many school districts in the state, he noted, provide their own academic-incentive diplomas. 鈥淪o we had instances where some graduates were receiving a local incentive diploma, a STAR diploma, a state academic-honors award,鈥� and a college scholarship for high achievers, Mr. Grieb said. 鈥淎nd we kidded about the fact that instead of having diploma covers, we needed to have albums.鈥�
Rewarding Success
According to the AFT, 23 states have or are devising advanced diplomas or other incentives for students who exceed state standards鈥攗p from eight in 1996.
Starting with the class of 2003, Pennsylvania will provide seals of 鈥減roficiency鈥� or 鈥渄istinction鈥� to students based on scores on state tests taken in the junior year.
In Massachusetts, 4,700 seniors who scored well on the state assessments were invited to apply for a 鈥渃ertificate of mastery鈥� this spring that recognizes superior academic achievement. The state is also working on 鈥渃ertificates of occupational proficiency鈥� for career and technical students who pass the state exams and meet standards for performance in their fields.
At least eight states provide even more tangible rewards to high achievers, the AFT figures show, such as guarantees of college admission, tuition aid, or stipends. In Massachusetts, the state board of higher education will vote this month on whether to provide a four-year scholarship to any public higher education institution in the state to students who qualify for the certificate of mastery. Legislators are also considering a $500 stipend for every award winner.
In Illinois, a student committee has suggested providing those who score well on state tests with reduced fees for automobile insurance.
Far more controversial is whether to provide some kind of diploma or credential for students who cannot pass state tests. In Virginia, the state school board will vote next month on whether to provide a basic diploma for students who cannot pass the state鈥檚 demanding Standards of Learning exams.
鈥淪tates want to put in these high stakes, and then they find there鈥檚 a backlash鈥攌ids aren鈥檛 performing, or they aren鈥檛 meeting these standards in enough time. So they have to put in these alternatives,鈥� said Heidi Glidden, an associate in the educational issues department at the AFT.
鈥淎s a phase-in, to offer a separate diploma is fine,鈥� she added. 鈥淵ou would hope and assume, now that you do have all these kids who are exposed to standards from the beginning, that as you move through this pipeline such a diploma wouldn鈥檛 be used anymore.鈥�
Delaware lawmakers recently approved three levels of diploma鈥� 鈥渟tandard,鈥� 鈥渁cademic,鈥� and 鈥渄istinguished.鈥� But the Business Public Education Council, which represents more than 30 of the state鈥檚 major corporations, opposes the idea of offering 鈥渟tandard鈥� diplomas to students who haven鈥檛 passed state tests.
鈥淔rom a business standpoint,鈥� said Paul R. Fine, the organization鈥檚 executive director, 鈥渨e believe a diploma that just acknowledges seat time is a diploma which goes nowhere.鈥�
He also worries that if students are allowed to pass through the system understanding that they will receive a diploma even if they fail the exams, 鈥渋t defeats the whole purpose of what the reform is all about.鈥�
Differentiated Diplomas
In Massachusetts, the question of what credential to offer students who don鈥檛 pass the state tests is up for grabs. Francis J. Kane, the associate commissioner for career and technical education, said the state鈥檚 current position is that districts can choose to give students who don鈥檛 pass the exams a certificate of attendance, as long as they have met other requirements.
But, he said, some districts would prefer to give a diploma. 鈥淭hat hasn鈥檛 actually been resolved yet,鈥� he said.
John C. Rennie and S. Paul Reville, the chairman and vice chairman of the Massachusetts Business Alliance for Education, have recommended several levels of state-sanctioned diplomas, from 鈥渂asic鈥� to 鈥渉ighest honors.鈥� The basic diploma would require passing scores on the state鈥檚 English and mathematics tests and, as other tests are phased in, a failing grade on no more than one other Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System exam.
But in the first few years of high-stakes testing, they acknowledge, some schools and districts may have substantial numbers of students who fail even those basic criteria.
During the transition, they argue, districts should be able to graduate such students with a local diploma, as long as they meet local graduation requirements.
鈥淭his provision, though distasteful,鈥� they write in the Winter 2000 issue of the Boston- based CommonWealth magazine, 鈥渋s suggested only to prevent the chaotic situation of larger numbers of students getting turned back into grade 12 than the school system can handle.鈥�
Meanwhile, whether employers or colleges will pay attention to differentiated diplomas, test scores on transcripts, or other signals of academic accomplishment is far from clear.
鈥淲hat we need to make sure is that somebody looks at this stuff,鈥� said Bob Palaich, the division director of K-16 policy at the Denver-based Education Commission of the States. 鈥淚f prospective employers and colleges don鈥檛 care, then it鈥檚 just a set of hurdles we鈥檝e put up in front of kids and families. The businesses and colleges and universities all need to be looking at these endorsements.鈥�
Students like Albert Mion of Danbury, Conn., are aware of that uncertainty as well. While he is proud of his test scores and his 鈥渃ertificate of mastery,鈥� whether they have any value outside his school, Mr. Mion admits, 鈥渋s a really ambiguous case.鈥�
鈥淭he admissions office down at the college where I鈥檝e been accepted [in Florida], didn鈥檛 say anything about the results,鈥� he said, 鈥渟o I honestly can鈥檛 say whether it counts for anything.鈥�
