PARCC is NOT a graduation requirement for the Class of 2016!

IMPORTANT: PARCC is NOT a graduation requirement for the Class of 2016

On Friday, May 6 the NJDOE and the Education Law Center reached a settlement on a case that has far reaching implications for graduating high school seniors. The settlement provides important protections for students in the Class of 2016 who have met all other requirements for a diploma, but have not fulfilled the new testing requirements imposed by the NJDOE.

Key points of the settlement are as follows:

• By this Friday, May 13, Districts should provide information about the portfolio process to parents/guardians of all students who still need the portfolio review to graduate. 
• The portfolio process is available to all students, regardless of IEP status. 
• Districts have been granted the power to oversee the portfolio review process. Districts may: 
• Determine whether or not a student has met the graduation proficiency standards. 
• Set portfolio requirements OR collect previous classwork to fulfill the portfolio requirements (or a combination of the two). 
• Administer portfolio assessments in a student’s native language. 
• Allow students awaiting final review of portfolios to participate in graduation ceremonies. 
• Districts must provide staff assistance for students completing portfolios. 

Full details of the settlement are available here. The Department of Education’s guidance on the settlement is available here.

If you have additional questions about the implications of the settlement for students in your school, contact Stan Karp of the Education Law Center at skarp@edlawcenter.org.