A forwarded email circulating since April sounds an alarm against an alleged provision "slipped into" the No Child Left Behind Act requiring that any high school student who doesn't meet academic requirements for graduation be issued a certificate of completion or attendance in lieu of a diploma. "Once a student accepts it," the message claims, "they cannot ever get a diploma or a GED" — or attend college, join the armed services, or get a federal loan "as long as they live." Can this possibly be true?
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The only thing NCLB added was the “high stakes testing” issue. It’s called Adequate Yearly Progress” (Here, from ed.gov: Under No Child Left Behind, every state must set clear and high standards for what students in each grade should know and be able to do in the core academic subjects of reading, math and science.
States will measure each student’s progress toward those standards with tests aligned with those higher standards.”) which translates into “if you don’t pass the test, you don’t get to graduate with a diploma, in many states.
i’ve seen this going around and if you think about it, it doesn’t really make sense. granted the gov’t doesn’t make big efforts to help people get out of poor circumstances… but just think of what that means… these people would all be destined to be a “burden” on others. and what sense does it make for them not to join the army. the gov’t relies on the poor to join as their only means of having a future. probably 70% or more of blacks and hispanics in the armed services are there because it was their only option (don’t forget it’s still offered as an option to jail). if they comprise the majority of the armed forces… why would these very people be banned for life.
also… find me ANOTHER certificate with that much power. a certificate is usually evidence that you can DO something… a skill or a trade. you took a class… it’s got as much pull as a receipt.
I read your article on the discrediting of the email concerning the Certificate of Completion.
The dynamic here is that out of the three times that I have been to your site this time you might be a bit premature.
There is a lot more to the story than what you have reported and if you really think about it when is the last time that you saw a state agency “weigh in” on email?
At this point and time one of the members of the “principals” advisory staff is now examining what you have placed on the worldwide web to decide whether or not the statements made from one side of the fence are defamatory or malicious in intent or scope.
As they say here in the south (I don’t have a dog in that fight) but one might suggest that you make sure that you have done total due diligence prior to stating something that has caused the reaction that it has especially when you have not gathered all facts and the original information.
You have no access to the original email and have taken a comprehensive stance on something that you are extremely unfamiliar with.
This is nothing close to a legend and for the record the email originated in Chicago.
Duly noted and forwarded for the record on May 26, 2006 at 9:07 a.m. est)
Warren H. Morgan II