11.14.2013 | Gotham Schools | Tougher graduation standards and the elimination of the local diploma for the majority of students have left some without a high school diploma because they scored just a few points too low on one Regents exam. Abja Midha, project director for the nonprofit Advocates for Children, said the full impact of the rule change would not become clear for another year or so, when some students who narrowly missed the score cutoff stop trying to earn their diplomas and turn instead to GED classes or work — a risky route that could limit college choices and future wages. The Coalition for Multiple Pathways to a Diploma, which includes AFC, has called on the state to add non-test assessments — such as final projects or portfolios — as graduation options. It also urged the state to expand the number of tests and range of scores subject to appeal, and better publicize that process. Read article