Delaware General Assembly

House Education 3/15/05

The General Assembly has ended, the current status is the final status.

3/15/05

Oberle

Reps. Ulbrich, Maier, Smith, DiPinto, Hudson, Lavelle, Lofink, Spence

AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 14 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO STATE HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA REQUIREMENTS

This Act creates a two tiered diploma system in Delaware that permits schools to take a student’s score on the DSTP into account as one indicator of the student’s eligibility to receive a State of Delaware High School Diploma. Pursuant to this Amendment, as a default the Department of Education must award a Diploma to any student who successfully completes prescribed course requirements established by the State, or the district, if district credit requirements are higher than those of the State, and demonstrates proficiency in level of performance relative to the state high school content standards by meeting the required performance level on the assessments administered as part of the DSTP. This Act also implements alternate indicators, which offer alternate routes for awarding a State of Delaware High School Diploma to any student who has successfully completed his or her prescribed high school course requirements. Pursuant to this Act, these alternate indicators may be used in lieu of the DSTP score, to award a student a Diploma if the student has taken the DSTP at least 2 times as required by this Act (and existing law). These indicators include: (1) an SAT score that is at least 25 points above the national average for the test; (2) a score of 3 or better in three separate AP tests, at least one of which is an AP math or AP science test; (3) a final cumulative grade point average of a 3.65 on a 4.00 scale, or its equivalent; and (4) completion of all remediation opportunities offered by the school district and receipt of written recommendations from teachers in each of the subject areas in which the student received a lower than proficient level of performance on the statewide high school assessment; provided, however, that said recommendations are: a. Accompanied by a written concurrence from the principal of the student’s high school; and b. Supported by documentation that the student has attained the academic standard in the subject area based upon both tests, other than the statewide high school assessment, and classroom work. This Act preserves the existing State of Delaware Distinguished Achievement Diploma for students graduating in 2005, 2006, and 2007, and implements a new system for awarding a Distinguished Achievement Diploma beginning in 2008. Pursuant to this Act, the Department of Education will continue to establish a higher level of performance on the DSTP as the default requirement for receiving a State of Delaware Distinguished Achievement Diploma. However, it shall only award them to students who have been identified by their school district as qualifying for one. Further, this Act permits the school districts to establish alternate indicators for qualifying a student for a State of Delaware Distinguished Achievement Diploma, provided that they are more rigorous than the alternate indicators established for receipt of a State of Delaware High School Diploma. This Act goes on to improve the underlying design of the DSTP by expressly requiring that the DSTP reflect student success in this rigorous curriculum and be externally validated using multiple indicators to demonstrate that coursework translated into retained skills and knowledge. Finally, this Act leaves the certificate of performance awarded for students in IEPs unchanged.

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Takes effect upon being signed into law

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