Utah eliminating 'alternative,' 'basic' from diploma titles

Utah high school seniors repeatedly failing the state's basic skills test won't have to worry about getting federal aid if they pursue college, the State Board of Education believes.

The board voted Tuesday to stop calling their diploma an "alternative completion diploma," mainly out of concern the U.S. Department of Education might not consider it legitimate in awarding Pell grants.

But now, the state won't be giving a "basic diploma" to students who pass the basic skills test, either.

Instead, the two diplomas will be called just that: diplomas. How to differentiate the two will be up to each of Utah's 40 school districts, according to the state school board's new rule, perhaps by a sticker or fine print.

Peggy Jo Kennett, president of the Jordan Board of Education, which oversees the state's largest school district, was unsure how it would all work out. But she praised keeping diplomas in the hands of local school boards.

"I think that's the way to go," Kennett said.

But Sen. Howard Stephenson, a champion of school accountability and the basic skills test, isn't sure the new language would jibe with legislative intent. He says he'll ask support staff to look at it.

The legislative Administrative Rules Review Committee has authority over state agency rules. The committee meets Tuesday.

"There could be 40 different ways of indicating passage or not passage of the UBSCT? Sounds to me like the state school board punted on this one," Stephenson said. "I believe there should be a statewide standard of indicating a student who graduated from high school has a certain level of proficiency. I don't think (the rule) meets the standard."

Up until now, all Utah students, starting with this year's seniors, have to pass the Utah Basic Skills Competency Test, which measures reading, writing and math, to receive a "basic" high school diploma. The idea is to guarantee high school graduates are competent in those areas.

Students must pass all test sections, and may take the exams five times. If they try the test at least three times, they can receive an alternative completion diploma. Anything less could net a certificate of completion.

This fall, between 6,100 to 9,300 of 36,000 seniors were failing at least one part of the test, putting them in line for either a certificate of completion or alternative completion diploma, according to state data and a Deseret Morning News analysis.