Thanks to a new law, Habersham County students get a diploma do-over. Those who didn’t graduate due to a failed graduation test can now petition the school district to get their credentials thanks to Georgia House Bill 91.
The law, signed by Governor Nathan Deal this week, orders local school systems to grant diplomas to any former student that failed to graduate solely on the basis of their Georgia High School Graduation Test scores.
“…students shall no longer be required to earn a passing score on the Georgia High School Graduation Test to earn a high school diploma. A person who is no longer enrolled in a Georgia public school and who previously failed to receive a high school diploma in this state or was denied graduation solely for failing to achieve a passing score on one or more portions of the Georgia High School Graduation Test or its predecessor or the Georgia High School Writing Test or its predecessor may petition the local board of education in which he or she was last enrolled to determine the student’s eligibility to receive a high school diploma pursuant to this Code section based on the graduation requirements in effect when the student first entered ninth grade.”
While the grad test requirement ended in 2011, it was part of the Habersham County curriculum since 1994. For nearly 2 decades students saw their high school fortunes rise or fall on the basis of a single test.
State Schools Superintendent Richard Woods praised lawmakers for the change. “I applaud and thank Chairman Brooks Coleman, members of the General Assembly and Gov. Deal for passing and signing House Bill 91.”
Woods says HB 91 makes it possible for many students to get their high school diploma so they can move on to potentially brighter futures. “Those who completed all of the requirements for graduation except for passing one test on one given day now have the opportunity to go on to some form of post-secondary education, where they can obtain skills needed to have a great quality of life and be contributors to our society,”
HB 91 also requires the Habersham County school system to advertise the details of the law and their procedure for petitioning for a diploma every year. If you would like more information about how the new law works, visit the Georgia Department of Education website. They’ve set up a special Q&A section about HB 91.
