Last-minute change in Florida graduation requirements helps 700 Palm Beach County seniors

More than 700 Palm Beach County high school seniors at risk of not graduating have earned a last-minute reprieve after some of the proposed stricter graduation requirements were delayed another year.

Diplomas, however, remain in peril for more than 2,000 of the county's students, district officials reported Friday.

State legislators who were intent on raising the bar on minimum test scores needed to graduate have approved a bill that would delay some, but not all, of those changes. Gov. Ron DeSantis signed the bill into law Tuesday — just two days before the first graduation ceremonies began in Palm Beach County.

For years, the state has given students who fail the state's exams in math and reading an alternate path to a diploma using the results, or so-called concordant scores, on other tests including the ACT or SAT college entrance exams.

Last month, Palm Beach County school leaders joined several districts across the state in a "Hail Mary" attempt to delay planned hikes in those concordant test score requirements. Nearly 3,000 local students were notified that they were at risk of not being able to walk across the stage, school district leaders said.

The fix, approved as an amendment to H.B. 1537, doesn't solve the issue for all students.

The amendment once again allows this year's seniors, who were freshmen at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, to qualify for a diploma using last year's ACT and SAT scores instead of passing scores on 10th grade assessments. They must score a 430 on the SAT or a 19 in the reading section of the ACT.

But despite pleas not to do so, legislators went forward with plans to raise the bar on what constitutes a passing score on Florida's Postsecondary Education Readiness Test (PERT) — meaning seniors taking the exam typically taken for the first time in 10th grade will need to score 114 instead of the previously accepted score of 97.

Previously: Why 2,800 seniors in Palm Beach County schools waiting to see if they'll graduate in weeks

From 2021: Florida's high school seniors face higher graduation bar with fewer ways to make it

Graduation dates: Palm Beach County schools announce high school graduation dates

District staff reported Friday that 710 seniors who were at risk of failing to graduate had since met the new requirements.

Superintendent Mike Burke has said the state's planned changes would create much bigger challenges for students trying to graduate than having to take a summer school class.

“It’s more challenging than just saying 'Hey, look Mike, you need a few more credits to graduate,'" Burke said. "This is 'You’ve got to pass this test,' and if we haven’t been able to get them to that level in four years, I’m not sure a summer term is going to do it.”

Florida high school graduation requirements include GPA, coursework and passing 10th grade tests

Roughy 13,000 seniors plan to graduate from Palm Beach County's 23 high schools in the coming weeks.

A majority of graduates will get their diplomas because they've met Florida's requirements: They've kept a 2.0 unweighted cumulative grade point average, completed course credit requirements and achieved passing scores on the 10th grade Florida Standards Assessment for English Language Arts and the Algebra 1 End-of-Course Assessment.

If a student does not pass the state reading or math tests, they can earn a “concordant," or comparative, score on the common college entrance exams and still earn their diploma.

But in an effort to increase academic rigor, the state Department of Education raised the graduation requirements before the class of 2023 was even in high school

The evidence-based reading and writing score for the SAT increased 50 points, from 430 to 480, and the required score for the ACT was set at 18 for both reading and English. Before, a student needed only a 19 in reading on the ACT.

Students were also able to take the PERT for math in place of the state math assessment. The new requirements prohibited students from using PERT scores to satisfy graduation requirements.

Legislators delayed the implementation of those new requirements due to impacts from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Now, Palm Beach County teachers are frantically testing those at-risk seniors every day until the end of the year in hopes the students pass the PERT exams and graduate, according to at least educator who spoke with The Palm Beach Post.

What are the options for students who do not graduate?

Students who do not graduate could attempt to take classes over the summer to raise their SAT and ACT scores, or could pursue a high school equivalency diploma — a GED.

If a student does not graduate because of a test score, they are issued a certificate of completion that says they completed the coursework.

But it’s still not a diploma.

They can't go on to attend college, enroll in the military or check “yes” on a job application that asks if they have a high school diploma.

Are you or is someone you know at risk of not graduating?

The Palm Beach Post is looking to speak with students whose plans have changed due to the new graduation requirements.

Please fill out the form below and a reporter will contact you. Your name and information will not be published without your permission and the permission of your parent or guardian.

Katherine Kokal is a journalist covering education at The Palm Beach Post. You can reach her at kkokal@pbpost.com. Help support our work, subscribe today!

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Florida graduation requirements change help Palm Beach County students