No Proof That New Advanced Diplomas Will Work

Katherine Poythress/Civil Beat

Hawaii is trying to raise its educational standards by giving students the option to choose tougher graduation requirements.

But national education analysts say that, despite the efforts of education leaders, there is no way to know today whether the advanced diploma will meet its goal of giving Hawaii's graduates an edge in an increasingly global economy.

This year's is the first class to graduate eligible for the Board of Education Recognition Diploma, which has slightly more demanding requirements than the standard high school diploma. Thirty-three percent of students are in the program.

But the real focus is on freshmen who began school last September, the Class of 2013. Of that group, 17 percent signed up for the program this year. They're going for an even more rigorous diploma.

Yet, the state's standard credit requirements for graduation are already competitive with those of other states — although Hawaii's student achievement rates continue to straggle in the back of the pack.

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