Thousands of Georgians can graduate retroactively as new law does away with test

Heritage High School assistant principal Carla Stephens inventories diploma covers on April 24, 2015  for the upcoming 2015 graduation.
Heritage High School assistant principal Carla Stephens inventories diploma covers on April 24, 2015 for the upcoming 2015 graduation.

Old high school diplomas are flying off the shelves in Georgia, thanks to a new state law that says high school students who did everything right -- but flunked a graduation test that's been mandatory since the 1980s -- can retroactively get a diploma.

Starting in 2011, the state scrapped its Georgia High School Graduation Test in English language arts, math, science and social studies, as a graduation requirement, said state education department spokesman Matt Cardoza. Legislators decided this year to make that retroactive, he said.

"They looked at it and said if the current rules don't require it, we should go back and apply the same requirements to [past] students," Cardoza said.

That means an estimated 8,000 people statewide are eligible now to get their sheepskins, Cardoza said. More than 100 Northwest Georgians already have, according to school officials in Catoosa, Dade and Walker counties.

"It's long overdue, long overdue," said Carla Stephens, assistant principal at Heritage High School in Ringgold. "These kids, they've passed their classes, done everything they're supposed to do, but could not pass this test."

Heritage High opened in 2009, so it's only had a handful of graduating classes. Still, 33 students came to claim their diplomas as of last week. The high school held onto the old diplomas and all of its records are computerized, so it doesn't take long for Stephens to determine whether a former student is eligible.

Heritage High even makes a little ceremony of the belated graduation, Stephens said, "So it's not a, 'So what.'" Front office staff play the graduation walking march, "Pomp and Circumstance," on a computer.

"People come in with their parents and children and everything. One young lady wanted to come in with her cap and gown," Stephens said. "She just tried [to pass] this test so many times."

Catoosa County Schools kept diplomas of students who didn't pass the graduation test, partly because students had a chance to re-take the test.

"I have had kids that have come back as late as in their 30s [to retest]," said Trish Schrimpf , the district's high school improvement specialist, who said Catoosa County Schools has given more than 100 retroactive diplomas since Gov. Nathan Deal signed the law March 30.

Emotions also have run high in Walker County, where more than 20 former students have received belated diplomas.

"I've had two ladies, they were in their 30s, it immediately brought them to tears, they were so excited," said Chris Chambers, Walker Schools Director of Student Services.

Since older records aren't computerized, it takes some digging through paperwork in the school district's archives to confirm that students from decades ago are now eligible for diplomas, Chambers said.

The law lets school districts decide what date to put on the diplomas. Districts can choose between the year the student originally would have graduated, or the year in which the student finally gets the diploma.

Dade County Schools officials opted for the date that students would have graduated, because they didn't want a student from the 1980s who's now in his or her 40s or 50s to have a 2015 diploma.

"That may throw up some red flags for an employer," Dade High School Principal Josh Ingle said.

The law requires that school districts let qualified former students know they can get a diploma. Districts have posted the news on their websites, and they're required by law to post legal ads in area newspapers. There's no deadline for former students to apply.

Contact staff writer Tim Omarzu at tomarzu@timesfreepress.com or www.facebook.com/tim.omarzu or twitter.com/TimOmarzu or 423-757-6651.

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