Dive Brief:
- For 20+ years, a consortium of 38 public high schools in New York City have held a waiver allowing students to “earn a diploma by passing just one exam: comprehensive English,” instead of being required to pass tests in five subjects, according to the Hechinger Report.
- A limited number of such waivers exist for schools in New York state.
- Despite the lack of an exam requirement, students must still demonstrate proficiency or “skill mastery” in other areas.
Dive Insight:
“According to the consortium, 77% of its students who started high school in the fall of 2010 graduated in four years, versus 68% for all NYC students,” the Hechinger Report states. In an interview, Ann Cook, explained how students help design their curriculums and present public presentations to demonstrate proficiency.
The trend of proficiency-based diplomas seems to be gaining traction in education, with personalized national learning models like Big Picture Learning becoming more commonly accepted. These models encourage students to build on pre-existing interests while designing curriculums that tie science, math, and English skills to independent projects. Students are assessed, often by teachers as well as peers, instead of tested. In Maine, a transition to proficiency-based standards is underway. Some states, like Vermont, have even mandated personalized learning plans for students.
