New Jersey schools could grant an alternate diploma

In New Jersey, some students with the most significant cognitive disabilities could leave high school with an alternate diploma instead of being forced into a one-size-fits-all finish line. The proposal from Assemblywomen Verlina Reynolds-Jackson and Linda S. Carter would give school districts that option for students in the state’s alternate assessment program starting in the 2027-2028 school year.

The diploma would have to be standards-based and aligned with the requirements for a state-endorsed diploma. It would be awarded by the end of the school year in which the student turns 21.

Services would keep running

The bill is designed to recognize achievement without ending support too soon. Receiving an alternate diploma would not terminate a student’s right to a free appropriate public education, or FAPE, under an individualized education program, known as an IEP, until the school year ends in which the student reaches 21.

Students in the alternate assessment program would also not be blocked from trying for a state-endorsed diploma. The IEP team would still decide what courses and services come next for each student who receives the alternate credential.