STOP: The Georgia Alternate Diploma is NOT a Standard Georgia High School Diploma

Navigating the Georgia Public Schools special education system can be challenging, especially when crucial decisions impact your child's entire future. A common point of confusion revolves around the different credentials students can earn upon exiting high school: Georgia High School Diploma, Georgia Alternate Diploma, and the Certificate of Attendance.

It’s essential to understand that while all are credentials, they are not the same and carry very different implications for a student’s post-secondary life.

1. The Georgia High School Diploma (Standard Diploma)

The standard high school diploma is the credential most of us are familiar with.

• Requirements: Awarded to students who meet all state and local requirements, including completing specific coursework and passing required state assessments (like the Georgia Milestones assessments or an approved alternative).

• Curriculum: Students follow the general education curriculum based on state academic standards.

• Future Opportunities: This diploma is the gateway to four-year colleges, technical colleges, and military enlistment. It is the standard expectation for most employment opportunities.

Key Point: This is the standard diploma required for typical college admissions and military service.

2. The Georgia Alternate Diploma (G-Alt Diploma)

The alternate diploma is a specific credential for a small subset of students in the special education system.

• Requirements: Awarded to students identified with the most significant cognitive disabilities who participate in the Georgia Alternate Assessment (GAA) track. Students must meet specific course requirements and the criteria of their alternate curriculum.

• Curriculum: Students follow an alternate curriculum based on alternate academic achievement standards, which are a modified version of the general education standards.

• Future Opportunities: This credential generally limits access to many four-year colleges and military enlistment. Students pursuing post-secondary education often have specific, case-by-case admissions processes. It is designed for students who cannot access the general education curriculum even with maximum support.

Key Point: This is an official diploma, but it signifies completion of a modified curriculum and often limits future college and military options.

3. The Certificate of Attendance

A Certificate of Attendance is an acknowledgment of attendance, but it is not a high school diploma.

• Requirements: Awarded to students who have completed all attendance requirements but have not met the full diploma requirements for either a standard or alternate diploma.

• Curriculum: The student may have attended classes but failed to pass required courses or state assessments.

• Future Opportunities: This credential provides the fewest post-secondary opportunities. A student with a certificate of attendance usually needs to obtain a GED (General Educational Development) diploma to access technical colleges, most employment opportunities, or military service.

Key Point: This is not a diploma and often requires further education (GED) for standard opportunities.

Clarifying the "Same" Narrative

It is vital to clarify the narrative sometimes pushed by Georgia school districts that the alternate diploma is the "same" as a standard diploma. While both are state-recognized credentials, they are not functionally the same regarding post-secondary opportunities and the curriculum a student followed.

The decision to place a child on the GAA track (the path to an alternate diploma) is a life-altering choice that should be made by the entire IEP team (including you, the parent) based on robust, current, data-driven evidence of a "significant cognitive disability" as defined by federal and state law - not as a default or for administrative convenience.

Understanding these distinctions allows parents to engage as equal and informed members of the IEP team, ensuring their child is on the correct path to maximize their potential.

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Disclaimer: This blog post is for informational purposes only. It does not constitute legal advice. Families with concerns about their child's special education services should consult with a qualified attorney or advocate.

Spectrum Project 360 is a non-attorney practice and we do not provide legal advice.