Advocates for Children of New York (AFC) leads a statewide coalition of educational and advocacy organizations and families who have come together to urge the creation of multiple pathways to a diploma in New York State, each of which holds all students to high expectations, provides them with quality instruction, and opens doors to career and post-secondary education opportunities. Members of the Coalition for Multiple Pathways to a Diploma believe that measuring college- and career-readiness requires valuing several different and equally valid ways to evaluate students’ knowledge needed for success in the workplace and higher education. The Coalition seeks to maximize opportunities for diverse learners to receive their high school diplomas as well as draw attention to the barriers to graduation created by the focus on high-stakes standardized testing.
Currently, the Diploma Coalition is comprised of more than 80 advocacy organizations, educators, and families across New York State, representing a broad cross-section of students, including students with disabilities, English Language Learners (ELLs), and economically disadvantaged students.
خلفية
The Coalition initially came together in 2007 to demand that the State address excessive use of the Individualized Education Program (IEP) diploma. Students in special education were given the option to earn an IEP diploma, which despite its name, was not a valid high school diploma and was not accepted by colleges, universities, or the military. Some school districts were using the IEP diploma to push students with disabilities out of school prematurely. After a series of conversations between Coalition members, individual members of the Board of Regents, and officials at the New York State Education Department (NYSED), the State eliminated the IEP diploma, effective July 1, 2013.
In 2011, the Coalition decided to focus on graduation requirements and diploma options more broadly, issuing توصيات و reports calling for multiple pathways to a diploma and accessible career and technical education (CTE) programs.
Recent activities
In November 2019, the Board of Regents and State Education Department launched Phase 1 of a plan to reexamine graduation requirements in New York State, including plans to convene a Blue Ribbon Commission in 2020. While the COVID-19 pandemic delayed this work, we were pleased when the State launched the Blue Ribbon Commission on Graduation Measures in 2022. In response, the Coalition released a list of توصيات لإنشاء إطار تخرج عادل ومفهوم ومتاح لجميع الطلاب.
