Senate panel seeks language to let adult-education students claim diplomas after program transition

The Senate Education Committee on April 8 discussed adding language to H.480 to ensure adult-education students who completed the prior high-school-completion program can receive their diplomas after a delayed program transition.

Committee members and counsel described a cohort of students caught in a transition between the state's sunset of the high-school-completion program and the later start of the Adult Diploma Program. Beth St. James, Office of Legislative Council, told the committee the provision had been placed in the House budget adjustment (BAA) and was supported by providers. She said the change would let students who met the old program's requirements access diplomas without being forced to meet additional conditions tied to the new program.

The committee heard that the transition created a gap: the high-school-completion program ended July 1 of the prior year and the Adult Diploma Program (ADP) was not operational until February. Providers and the Joint Fiscal Office identified roughly 120 students who completed the required work under the old program but have not yet received diplomas. Committee members said some local schools have since signed onto ADP and can issue diplomas, but a subset of students remain unable to obtain diplomas because their local schools have not adopted the new program.

Members discussed two parallel approaches: (1) include explicit language in a vehicle likely to pass soon (H.480 or another miscellaneous education bill) directing the Agency of Education to allow diploma issuance to students who completed the old program, and (2) send a formal letter from the committee to the Agency of Education asking the agency to retract or modify guidance that currently requires school participation in ADP before diplomas are issued. Beth St. James said the language in the House BAA mirrors the agency's transition policy except for the agency's additional condition that a student's local school must sign onto the ADP.

Committee members debated the effective date in the draft language and suggested extending the deadline to ensure schools and agencies have time to issue transcripts and diplomas; a July 1 effective date was discussed along with a proposed August 30 (or August 31) extension to give more time for administration. Members also asked staff to draft a cover letter to the Agency of Education asking that affected students receive diplomas promptly, and to place the language in whatever vehicle is likely to move most quickly.

No formal vote was recorded in the transcript; committee members indicated they would move forward with inserting the language into a near-term vehicle and pursue a letter to the agency.

The committee also agreed to coordinate with providers and to follow up with Agency of Education staff or written guidance so the committee can confirm which students remain affected and whether the agency will change its guidance without legislation.

Ending: The committee directed staff to add the ADP language to a near-term legislative vehicle and to prepare a draft letter to the Agency of Education asking for expedited diploma issuance for students who completed the high-school-completion requirements during the transition period. Committee members planned follow-up to confirm the final effective date and the mechanism for issuing outstanding diplomas.