New Jersey students could earn an alternate diploma

In New Jersey, some students with the most significant cognitive disabilities could leave high school with an alternate diploma instead of having only the standard route in front of them. A proposal from Sen. Shirley K. Turner would let school districts issue that diploma starting with the 2027-2028 school year to students who take part in the New Jersey Alternate Assessment Program and meet the bill’s disability standard.

The point is not to create a separate, looser label. The alternate diploma would have to be standards-based and aligned with the requirements for a State-endorsed diploma, so it functions as a recognized credential within the state’s existing school system.

The protections stay in place

The bill also draws a clear line around services. Receiving the alternate diploma would not end a student’s right to a free appropriate public education, or FAPE, under state and federal law until the end of the school year in which the student turns 21.

That matters for families and school teams because the diploma would not replace the individualized planning that comes with an Individualized Education Program, or IEP. The IEP team would still decide what courses and services come next, and students who receive the alternate diploma would still be able to work toward a State-endorsed diploma if they can meet those requirements.