Hatboro-Horsham School Board Approves Differentiated Diploma Option

No two students take the same path toward receiving their high school diploma. Recognizing that learning styles and skills vary as broadly as students’ future endeavors, the Hatboro-Horsham School Board approved the implementation of a differentiated diploma option for students at its August 18 meeting.

The two diplomas are the Scholar’s Diploma, which recognizes students who pursue a more rigorous course of study, and the Traditional Diploma, which allows them to choose varied paths through additional elective options.

While the state has required that high school graduates receive a minimum of 21 credits, Hatboro-Horsham has exceeded that with a minimum requirement of 29 credits since the start of the 2007 school year. The new PDE requirements and the HHSD differentiated diplomas will revise these graduation requirements. Students pursuing the Traditional Diploma program will need 26 credits for graduation, while the Scholar’s Diploma will require 29 credits.

Some of the major differences between the Traditional Diploma and the Scholar’s Diploma are the rigorous requirements of the latter: passing at least two AP course exams, maintaining a GPA of 3.4 or higher, participating in a Scholars Leadership Program course, and taking additional Science and Social Studies courses.

The approved changes were based on the newly accepted Chapter 4 Regulations that affect high school students in the state of Pennsylvania. These new regulations will impact two areas of graduation requirements, which now mandates that students demonstrate proficiency on the Keystone Exams and removes the need for a graduation project.

“The old status quo has changed drastically,” Principal Dennis Williams said. “We need to prepare our students for the competitive environment that lies ahead of them, no matter what degrees or fields they seek.”

In order to participate in the Scholar’s Diploma, students will be able to begin applying after the first semester of their sophomore year. Then the building principal, grade-level principal and counselors will assess the student’s eligibility after reviewing the application and academic performance.

Students who successfully earn the Scholar’s Diploma will receive an official notarization on their final transcripts that states the program completion, a raised seal of accomplishment on their diploma, and be recognized at the commencement ceremony.

The differentiated diplomas will be implemented at the beginning of the 2014-2015 school year beginning with the Class of 2017, who are the district’s current rising sophomores.

“We are individualizing education so students can pursue what they’re passionate about,” Superintendent Curtis Griffin said. “When students are engaged and interested in what they’re learning, they get more out of it.”

The district believes that the differentiated diploma options will assist all students in advancing their future goals. For students who see themselves pursuing more academic futures, the Scholar’s Diploma will encourage them to schedule more challenging courses. However, for students who are interested in other pathways including the creative arts and skill-based programs, there will be more opportunities to pursue these interests through the Traditional Diploma.

“We have a responsibility to prepare our student for whatever they want to accomplish in the future,” Williams said. “By creating two different types of diplomas, we encourage all our students to pursue courses that will help them advance in their future careers.”