The majority of states have or plan to adopt high stakes testing.  Many of these states are implementing diploma or certificate options for students who complete all coursework but are unable to reach the cutoff score on the exam.  This study evaluates the effect of certificates of completion on admission into post-secondary institutions.  Admission policies for all New Mexico colleges were reviewed and each school’s director of admissions was interviewed regarding knowledge and experience with certificates of completion.  Data from this study suggests that most college admissions offices have not encountered or even heard about certificates of completion.  Junior colleges with open admission policies are willing to accept students with certificates of completion, but these students are not typically awarded any financial aid until they earn a GED.  More research needs to be conducted and policies regarding diploma options and college admissions need to be developed.

High Stakes Testing and Diploma Options

With twenty-seven states currently mandating, or planning to mandate by the year 2005, that students pass a high stakes test for graduation (Amrein & Berliner, 2002), it is time to consider the effects of testing on entrance into post-secondary education.  Research has shown that not earning a high school diploma has life-long damaging effects (O’Neill, 2001), but little is known about the emergent effects of diploma options.

States began using diploma options as a means of preventing the negative effects of not receiving a diploma while maintaining high expectations for those who receive the standard diploma.  Certificates of completion, also called certificates of attendance or achievement, are given to students who pass all coursework required for graduation, but who are unable to reach the cut-off score on the high stakes test.  This maintains the integrity of the high school diploma, while also providing a means of exiting high school for students who do not meet all of the criteria for the diploma (Thurlow & Thompson, 1999). 

Unfortunately students, parents, teachers, and even colleges have little knowledge of the impact of certificates of completion upon post-secondary schooling.  We must prevent life-long negative consequences for students while at the same time make the high school diploma meaningful.

Design of the Study

The purpose of this study is to inquire whether diploma options for students who are unable to reach the minimum competency level on high stakes tests adversely affect their entrance into post-secondary education.  The study also examines admission officers’ knowledge of diploma options across different types of institutions.  Post-secondary institution admission policies and financial aid policies regarding diploma options are also reviewed.

Directors of Admission at all 33 colleges listed on New Mexico’s Department of Education Web site were contacted for interviews. Job Training Services is no longer in existence, and the Roswell and Ruidoso campuses of Eastern New Mexico University now share an admissions office and are therefore treated as one college.  The University of New Mexico recently added another branch in Taos, which was included in the study.  In cases where the director was unavailable after three attempts, assistant directors were interviewed.  The results of the interviews are included in the table below.

Knowledge of Certificates of Completion

Results of Study

New Mexico implemented the New Mexico Competency Exam in 1986.  The high stakes test associated with graduation was added in the 1990–1991 school year.  Shortly thereafter, certificates of completion were defined as an option for those who do not reach the cutoff score on the exam.  The number of students who receive certificates is low because students with disabilities are able to earn diplomas without passing the competency exam if their IEP teams choose that option.  This may change, however, in the near future. 

Less than half of the Directors of Admissions knew about certificates of completion. Though junior colleges would seem to be affected to a greater degree because of their open admissions policies, they were no more likely than universities or private colleges to know about certificates of completion.  If fact, there was no statistical different between the type of institution and their knowledge of certificates.

No school currently has policies in place for students coming in with certificates and there is much confusion over whether to consider these students graduated.  Three colleges said that it was up to each high school or district to decide how they view the certificates.  If a student has graduated then they can receive financial aid for college, but if they are not considered graduated this aid is withheld until a high school diploma or GED is earned.   Because of competition, this holds true for scholarships as well.  In order to determine if a student has graduated, colleges are contacting the student’s local school district.  Each school district has its own policies regarding certificates of completion, and colleges are basing acceptance of students on those policies. 

Fifteen of the post-secondary institutions have open admissions policies where students can take classes without having a diploma or GED, but these students must pay for classes without financial aid.  These colleges also require students to take placement tests and their class options are based on their scores on the test.  Students who do not have a diploma or GED are typically placed on provisional acceptance or allowed to only take developmental classes.  Some of these schools then require the student to obtain a diploma or GED while others only look at college performance when re-evaluating acceptance status.

Interestingly, one school has decided to bypass the graduation question.  The director of admissions is proposing that they stop asking for transcripts.  This way they do not have to take anything but the students’ word that they graduated.  If a student says he graduated, he will be eligible for financial aid and scholarships, regardless of what his transcript might reveal. 

Conclusion

Inconsistency is the prevailing theme.  High schools are not consistent on the definition of graduated.  Colleges are not consistent with admission policies or views of certificates of completion.  And the state is not consistent about the requirements for graduation for all students. 

In New Mexico, students who earn certificates of completion can attend some colleges, but their class choice may be limited, and they will not be eligible for financial aid.  When you consider the very low percentage of students who are able to attend college without any financial assistance, this policy could have long-lasting negative effects similar to dropping out of high school.

Many questions still need to be answered.  It will be important to examine more states regarding their high school diploma options and college admissions policies.   Of particular importance will be the diploma options that affect students with disabilities.  It is also important to gauge the knowledge students and teachers at the high school level have regarding the effects of diploma options.

References

Amrein, A.L., & Berliner, D.C. (2002, March 28). High-stakes testing, uncertainty, and student learning. Education Policy Analysis Archives, 10 (18). Retrieved March 15, 2003, from http://epaa.asu.edu/epaa/v10n18/.

O’Neill, P. T. (2001).  Special education and high stakes testing for high school graduation:  An analysis of current law and policy.  Journal of Law & Education, 30, 185–222. Retrieved October 11, 2002, from Wilson Omnifile database.

Thurlow, M., & Thompson, S. (1999).  Diploma options and graduation policies for students with disabilities (Policy Directions No. 10).  Minneapolis, MN:  University of Minnesota, National Center on Educational Outcomes.  Retrieved October 15, 2002, from http://cehd.umn.edu/NCEO/OnlinePubs/Policy10.htm