Graduation rates are up since the new rules went into effect for the Class of ’23, she writes. “But at the same time, high school students’ scores on state math and reading tests have declined.”
Statewide, about one-fifth of students use credentials to earn a diploma, but it’s 40 percent in Philadelphia.
Students with low test scores can graduate if they’re enrolled in a specific career and technical education program or pre-apprenticeship, she writes. However, many schools don’t offer these programs.
Many options for “evidence” can qualify a student for graduation, including “a full-time job offer, a dual-enrollment credit, and an AP or IB score,” Redelmeier writes. The easy-to-earn credentials are by far the most popular.