VERMONT HIGH SCHOOL COMPLETION PROGRAM

The Vermont High School Completion Program (HSCP) was authorized by the Vermont State legislature as a high school diploma program to be regulated by the Vermont Department of Education (VDOE).  All service providers must be approved by VDOE.  NEKLS is an approved provider.  HSCP eligibility is limited to persons between the ages of sixteen and twenty-two.  Upon enrollment, the students and those providing services complete an individual graduation education plan.  This plan identifies the courses, instruction and credits necessary to obtain a diploma from a participating high school.  Upon successful completion of the plan, the student is awarded a high school diploma.

In partnership, local high schools and the Adult Education and Literacy (AEL) statewide contractor operate the High School Completion Program.

1. Identify youth eligible for the program,
2. Participate in the development of each student’s graduation education plan,
3. Make those services they typically provide available to youth no longer enrolled in school,
4. Determine the graduation requirements,
5. Assess satisfactory completion of student work,
6. Award the diploma, and
7. Maintain fiscal account records for the program’s funding and expenditures.

1. Identifies youth eligible for the program,
2. Participates in the development of each student’s graduation education plan,
3. Directly provides educational services,
4. Engages and contracts with other educational providers for delivery of services as appropriate for each student’s graduation education plan,
5. Manages/coordinates implementation of graduation education plan for each student,
6. Provides student advocacy, support and guidance throughout the process,
7. Assesses satisfactory completion of student work,
8. Manages student records and data entry needed for calculating reimbursement payments, and
9. Is the primary communication liaison with the local high schools?

Any person age 16-21, who is not enrolled in school, and who has not attained a high school diploma is eligible for the High School Completion Program.  Eligible youth may enter the program through many doors.  The high school may counsel a recent student to enter the high school completion program.  The AEL contractor may counsel eligible youth that the HSCP might be the best alternative for their continued learning.  In addition, a wide variety of community organizations that work with youth not enrolled in school can also be the student’s first point of contact for the HSCP.  For example, a homeless or pregnant youth might first contact a program for homeless youth or pregnant teens.  Such community organizations already have a relationship with the young person and they can connect them to the HSCP by simply contacting their local AEL provider and requesting that an individual graduation education plan be initiated.  Because such community organizations are important support for youth with special needs, often these community organizations will be contracted to deliver education services as part of the student’s graduation education plan.

Once a young person who could benefit from the HSCP is identified, the AEL provider will facilitate development of the individual’s graduation education plan.  The AEL provider will meet with the student and identify which high school can act as the best partner and award the diploma.  When possible, this should be the district of residence, but if AEL or the district of residence recognizes circumstances that warrant a high school other than the district of residence, then AEL will contact the Department of Education with a recommended high school and a request for the commissioner to assign the student to that high school.  (See Appendix A) The assigned high school assumes the responsibilities defined in Section 1A above.

The graduation education plan will be recorded on a standard form (see Appendix B).  This will ensure some statewide comparability while enabling individual creativity in shaping a plan that works best for the student.  Each graduation education plan will include:

1. Profile of current school transcript and basic skill proficiency in reading, writing and math.
2. Identification of student goals beyond high school – career, educational, personal.
3. Clear learning objectives that the student must accomplish to earn a diploma.
4. Plan of services: learning opportunities and assessments with evidence and performance expectations for satisfactory completion.
5. Identification of provider organizations responsible for delivery of specific services.
6. Expected date of graduation.

Each graduation education plan must identify a challenging and engaging array of learning opportunities and assessments that align with the life goals of the student and increase student engagement and retention.  These students have already disconnected from school, it will take creative approaches to learning to get them re-engaged with their education.  The circumstances of each student will be quite different.  Some may have left school with only a few credits short of graduation.  Others may be so far from the required credits for graduation that an alternative to credit-based graduation will be necessary.  Some of these students will have good skills but left school for social and behavioral reasons.  Others may have very low skills and will need a lot of instructional support to bring their skills to an equivalency of your average high school graduate.  Each graduation education plan will be unique to the student circumstances.

Once the graduation education plan is written and signed, the student can be enrolled in the HSCP and marked in the database as a student in the program.  A graduation education plan is active until the expected graduation date OR until a student has gone without services for 120 days.  A graduation education plan may be updated/amended as needed over time, but reimbursement for development of a graduation education plan can occur only once.  If a student leaves the High School Completion Program and returns in a subsequent year, the graduation education plan will be reviewed and adjusted as part of the case management services.