Because of a retroactive change in state graduation requirements, some students who didn't pass the state competency tests as far back as 1981 may now get a high-school diploma.
In Forsyth County, an average of 30 to 40 students in each graduating class since 1981 could be eligible for a diploma, said Kenneth Simington, the assistant superintendent for student services for Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools.
Eligible students are those who completed all requirements for graduation except passing the state competency tests in reading and mathematics and passing the N.C. computer-skills test.
The General Assembly eliminated those as graduation requirements, retroactively.
School officials in some systems have speculated that the motive was primarily financial, as the language eliminating the tests is in the state's budget bill and it cut financing for administering certain tests not required by federal law.
Simington said he doesn't know why legislators chose to make the change retroactive.
Since the Class of 1981, passing the competency tests has been part of the requirements for receiving a high-school diploma. The computer-skills test was added as a requirement beginning with the Class of 2001. A student who completed all the necessary classes for graduation but did not pass the tests received a certificate rather than a diploma.
Beginning with the Class of 2010, students will be required to pass end-of-course tests in five subjects -- Algebra I, English I, biology, civics and economics, and U.S. history -- to get a diploma.
"The end-of-course tests would be a higher standard," Simington said.
Not counting students at Carter Vocational High School, where learning disabilities prevent many of the students from completing standard course work, typically about 30 to 40 students a year receive certificates rather than diplomas, Simington said. In 2009, 48 students not attending Carter received certificates.
Not all of the students who received certificates would be eligible for a diploma, because they may have also failed to complete other graduation requirements.
"It's going to be a smaller number," Simington said.
School officials have already started the process of determining whether the 2009 students should receive diplomas. And the school system has a database that should make it relatively straightforward to do the research on students for the past five years.
"Beyond that, it's difficult," Simington said.
"This is a tedious task to deal with," Superintendent Don Martin said at the Tuesday night meeting of the Winston-Salem/ Forsyth County school board. "This is another example of an unfunded mandate."
School officials are asking people who think that they might now be eligible for a diploma to get in touch with the school system's Office of Former Student Records. It could take up to four weeks after that to verify all the information, Simington said.
Getting a diploma can have very practical benefits. Simington said he knows of one woman who recently completed high school but had failed one of the competency tests. She is now in the process of getting her diploma so that she can go to college. And, in general, he said, a high-school diploma is essential for many jobs today.
The change doesn't affect GED certificates.
The graduation date for students who receive a diploma under the change will be July 1, 2009. No fee will be charged for the diplomas.
School and district graduation rates will not be amended to reflect the additional graduates. Martin said he thinks that the graduation rates for at least the Class of 2009 should be modified.
kunderwood@wsjournal.com
727-7389
The Office of Former Student Records can be reached at 727-2306.
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