Without the option of a local diploma many students won't graduate at all, according to a report released today by Advocates for Children (AFC).  More than a Statistic: Faces of the Local Diploma, chronicles nine high school graduates' pathways to college and careers taken after earning a local diploma. A local diploma has less stringent requirements than a Regents diploma and is being phased out for both general and special education students.

In 2009, roughly 15 percent of statewide graduates earned a local diploma.  A disproportionate number of them were Black and Latino students, English language learners, and students with special needs.

"The paper calls on officials to remember the needs of this group of students and develop alternative pathways to earn a regular high school diploma in the State," said AFC Director, Kim Sweet.  “No matter what you think of the local diploma, it does in fact have value as a credential that makes opportunities available to the students who receive it, ” Sweet stated in a press release.<!--more-->

Under the state's  new requirement, general education students entering ninth grade in 2008  or later, and special education students entering 9th grade in 2011 or later, will have to meet the standards of a Regents diploma to graduate.

“Ultimately, we would like to see all students have a pathway to a Regents diploma,” said Sweet. “but merely removing the option of the local diploma is not enough to move all students to the point of meeting the more demanding Regents diploma requirements."

Read AFC's press release here and the full report here.