Special High school diploma

[Irish_Pride]

Hi all this is my first real post here and I have an issue .For the past 10 plus years I have had nothing but anger and hatred towards my parents for making the decision for me regarding my high school diploma option .My father demaded that I take the easier route out of school without consulting me or asking what my aspiring were .A couple of my teachers knew by the time I was in 11 grade or so that I had been given the wrong diploma that I can defintely get a regular HS and go on to college .While speaking with a relative whose is not catholic told me to return to the church ,which I have been in or connected to in a long time .I have reading spirituals ,the bible among a few others and it has helped me a lot to calm down and become a better person .Which would be better to earn a GED or earn one of the online high school diploma .I am looking towards the latter option .I have tried to get into Ashworth but they would let me in do to the diploma issue .kaplan too expensive .Any thoughts I would appreciate it and thanks.

 

[journey137]

If you want to go to college, and you think you are able to teach yourself what you need to make up the knowledge gap, I would recommend just studying and getting the GED. If you think you really need the direction a teacher provides, go with the online diploma. Most public colleges, community colleges especially, will accept any diploma as long as you can pass their entrance exam. Have you tried taking their entrance/placement exams? If I remember correctly, a friend of mine without a regular high school diploma had to make special requests to take the entrance exams with a higher up at the college. She studied and passed so they let her enroll for classes without making her get a different high school diploma. Colleges are businesses that offer services, and just like any business they can bend the rules under certain circumstances if you ask, especially if you prove to them you are a capable student that got into the wrong track in high school.

 

[Sr_Sally]

I’m confused–did you graduate from high school with a diploma of any sort? If you do have a diploma at all, then don’t worry about changing that now. Go on to your local community college and take some course there. Once you have a year from there under your belt, you can look at transferring to a 4-year school. Even if you transfer in after 2 years, your final college diploma will be from that school, not the community college. If you have the energy and money to go on to college, that is what I would do. Community college is less expensive and usually has plenty of class options so you can still work, even full time, while you get started.

If you don’t have a HS diploma at all, contact the school district and ask them what the best why is for you to get it. If you went through 11grade, they will have your transcripts and will know exactly what classes you need to finish to get a diploma. You will most likely be able to take them online or at night through the school district. That will be quicker than trying to start over somewhere else. Once you do have that diploma (even if it isn’t the advanced one), proceed with the plan above.

Don’t worry now about being angry with your father. He may have thought you didn’t have the desire to go on to college and did what he thought best at the time. It is water under the bridge now. You are an adult if you are 10 years past 11th grade, so take your own life in your hands and move forward. Pray for your father and ask God to release any lingering resentment you have.

I will be praying for you.

 

[Irish_Pride]

I have what is known as a ’ special high school diploma in the State of Florida .In some states it is known as a certificate of completion at the age of soon to be 34 I would like to get past this iissue.in Florida I tried to get into the local JC and they would not admitt me with it .It usually not accepted at the military or vocational schools .In short order it is not accepted anywhere .Accept to get a job.

 

[Sr_Sally]

I have what is known as a ’ special high school diploma in the State of Florida .In some states it is known as a certificate of completion at the age of soon to be 34 I would like to get past this iissue.in Florida I tried to get into the local JC and they would not admitt me with it .It usually not accepted at the military or vocational schools .In short order it is not accepted anywhere .Accept to get a job.

I am not familiar with that term, but I understand what you mean now. OK, my first step would still be to call the school district and see what you need to do to get it “upgraded”. Also call the JC and ask them if there is a process for you to take remedial classes or something to then get admitted. I am sure the educational system has figured out a plan to get past this. It probably means jumping through some stupid hoops (like taking a basic math or English class), but at 34 you shouldn’t have any trouble with it. Whatever the process is, I’m sure you can get through it and have a regular college diploma by the time you are 40 for sure!

 

[journey137]

In some schools, special education students get what’s called a certificate of completion instead of a high school diploma. Still other schools have special ed/IEP diplomas for students in the special education track. Most colleges will not accept a special ed/IEP diploma or a certificate of completion, BUT usually a person that has one of those can enroll in certain courses to satisfy the requirements for a high school diploma and then go on to the college level classes when you finish. Some colleges might make you get the high school diploma before they will work with you at all. Like I said before, if you can learn on your own without a teacher, it is worth it to study and ask the college if you can take their entrance exams without the high school diploma.

 

[Seatuck]

If you lived in NY all you would have to do is apply at the local community college and take their entrance exams. If you pass those you may take regular college classes. If not then you take the remedials until you pass those and then move on to regular college classes. After a certain number of credits you might be issued a regular high school diploma if you did not have one.

 

[Irish_Pride]

Here is the link to the diploma I got

pinellas.k12.fl.us/ese/diploma.html

 

[purplesunshine]

Irish,

I work in higher education. I don’t understand why a special diploma would of prevented you from taking the GED test years ago if your goal is to get into a community college. Its time to let go of the resentment towards your parents. They made the best decision with the information possible at the time. It is your own anger at what you see as injustice that you choose to not move forward.

Community colleges are for the community. They usually work with you every step of the way to get qualified to enter the school, to have assistance, if needed, in class and to work with you on what you need to know after you graduate. Most offer GED testing weekly or more and offer GED prep-courses up the wazoo.

 

[shannyk]

Irish if it’s any consolation I got a GED after I quit high school and went on to a 4 yr university and then graduate school. I say go ahead and get your GED if going to JC or Uni is your goal. I’m sure your community college will have prep courses and more importantly, someone you can talk to about your options and long term goals. I’d call them up.

I had parent issues too regarding high school, won’t bore you with the details, but I can relate somewhat. You have to let it go now. Parents are people too and make mistakes as we all do. You can only go forward from here

 

[Irish_Pride]

My diploma option does not prevent me from getting a GED it is the resentment that I have to get another one in order to get a higher education.With no job my funds are limited and my transportations are limited to nonextistant .So online is the only to earn that peace of paper .I think I will go for GED Academy and see how it goes . I will post here if all goes well.

 

[purplesunshine]

In all honesty you’re not doing the work twice, you never did it to begin with.

 

[Sr_Sally]

My diploma option does not prevent me from getting a GED it is the resentment that I have to get another one in order to get a higher education.With no job my funds are limited and my transportations are limited to nonextistant .So online is the only to earn that peace of paper .I think I will go for GED Academy and see how it goes . I will post here if all goes well.

Glad to hear that you have a plan. You have held on to your resentment long enough. Now start getting excited about what you will learn and the opportunities that will be open to you.

 

[Irish_Pride]

In all honesty you’re not doing the work twice, you never did it to begin with.

Excuse me but your comment is highly rude .Consider if it were you ,I spent four years with the antipatican that I would be able to at least go to a vocational school if I wanted too .And at the very least pay for out of my own pocket to learn at a community college what I don’t know .How dare you critize me , you don’t know what I learned in school and what I didn’t .I won’t be back on this forum.

 

[MercyMia]

Iris Pride, I’m sorry if anyone on this board offended you. I think most of us who took a traditional degree path for high school maybe don’t have a grasp on what kind of situation your degree was so people are just trying to understand the whole picture.

I hope that you are able to fufil the academic goals you have set for yourself. Maybe someone on here who works in education can PM you with some resources that might make your path easier. I know it can be frustrating to have doors closed - but with God there is always path. Always. Some of the greatest saints had little education, but boy did they understand how to love God better than people who were highly educated! It sounds like you have a plan, so that is good. I hope that it works out for you and that if you find yourself needing more advice, you won’t be discouraged to return to these boards and seek the advice of your brothers and sisters in Christ.

 

[purplesunshine]

Excuse me but your comment is highly rude .Consider if it were you ,I spent four years with the antipatican that I would be able to at least go to a vocational school if I wanted too .And at the very least pay for out of my own pocket to learn at a community college what I don’t know .How dare you critize me , you don’t know what I learned in school and what I didn’t .I won’t be back on this forum.

No, I don’t know what you learned or didn’t learn. I didn’t write your IEP, however, I work closely with some young adults in a job-training program. They will get special, not transferring diplomas. I’m very well versed in what qualifies and dosn’t qualify towards a credited education. They have worked hard towards, as hard as their peers, maybe even harder, but in all fairness their goals are separate and they have NOT completed regular high school studies. And thats even by the very lax American HS standards.

Why you didn’t take a GED out of HS is beyond me, and probably had more to do with your own resentment than any real factor. If your HS curriculum was anywhere near the work your peers were doing you could pass the GED without even much prep-work. Many kids who barley pass regular HS degrees have to get GED’s to go to a CC. While they “did the work” having a 1.6 of a 4.0 GPA indicates that they absorbed less than half the material…and are NOT ready for college. About 1/4 of the students at the CC that I work at come in with GED’s.

Some even graduated HS in a foreign country with higher standards than the US but their diplomas are not recognized, so they take the GED. In fact, know of several students who were refused entrance based on lack of HS degree (although they had one in another country) and then tested into the highest level math and English possible. Some of them were skilled and bright enough to get into ivy league schools but they weren’t even allowed to try…even after scoring nearly perfect on SAT’s (we’re talking 1400 and 1500’s out of 1600’s) or ACT’s. Talk about resentment! I feel they have a right to feel jilted as they had to pay for taking a GED test when they’d done the work and done it well. So stop the pity party that your past wasn’t all that.

I had an awkward past but I got over my silly resentments and childishness at age 19. So don’t tell me that I can’t understand.

Charity demands sympathy and help but sometimes the most charitable thing you can do is demand a person snap out of their misery and realize that they must act like an adult.

Your parents had the right, the authority and the ability to make the decision for you. By the wording on the website for IEP’s it was your parent’s decision and I didn’t see any point on the website that indicated the child’s feelings should have an (name removed by moderator)ut on the educational decision. If they made the wrong or right decision for you is anybody’s guess, and that you have held it against them for a decade is really, really sad.

 

[shannyk]

No, I don’t know what you learned or didn’t learn. I didn’t write your IEP, however, I work closely with some young adults in a job-training program. They will get special, not transferring diplomas. I’m very well versed in what qualifies and dosn’t qualify towards a credited education. They have worked hard towards, as hard as their peers, maybe even harder, but in all fairness their goals are separate and they have NOT completed regular high school studies. And thats even by the very lax American HS standards.

Why you didn’t take a GED out of HS is beyond me, and probably had more to do with your own resentment than any real factor. If your HS curriculum was anywhere near the work your peers were doing you could pass the GED without even much prep-work. Many kids who barley pass regular HS degrees have to get GED’s to go to a CC. While they “did the work” having a 1.6 of a 4.0 GPA indicates that they absorbed less than half the material…and are NOT ready for college. About 1/4 of the students at the CC that I work at come in with GED’s.

Some even graduated HS in a foreign country with higher standards than the US but their diplomas are not recognized, so they take the GED. In fact, know of several students who were refused entrance based on lack of HS degree (although they had one in another country) and then tested into the highest level math and English possible. Some of them were skilled and bright enough to get into ivy league schools but they weren’t even allowed to try…even after scoring nearly perfect on SAT’s (we’re talking 1400 and 1500’s out of 1600’s) or ACT’s. Talk about resentment! I feel they have a right to feel jilted as they had to pay for taking a GED test when they’d done the work and done it well. So stop the pity party that your past wasn’t all that.

I had an awkward past but I got over my silly resentments and childishness at age 19. So don’t tell me that I can’t understand.

Charity demands sympathy and help but sometimes the most charitable thing you can do is demand a person snap out of their misery and realize that they must act like an adult.

Your parents had the right, the authority and the ability to make the decision for you. By the wording on the website for IEP’s it was your parent’s decision and I didn’t see any point on the website that indicated the child’s feelings should have an (name removed by moderator)ut on the educational decision. If they made the wrong or right decision for you is anybody’s guess, and that you have held it against them for a decade is really, really sad.

wow. do you have any idea how inappropriate this response is? not to mention your former response?

 

[purplesunshine]

wow. do you have any idea how inappropriate this response is? not to mention your former response?

How inappropriate you say that, especially without breaking down why you think its wrong. Get a hold of yourself man. OP is a fully grown poster able to navigate the Internet and type better than most HS graduates. I may have spoken a harsh truth, but it is the truth.

 

[FastLearner]

In fact, know of several students who were refused entrance based on lack of HS degree (although they had one in another country) and then tested into the highest level math and English possible. Some of them were skilled and bright enough to get into ivy league schools but they weren’t even allowed to try…even after scoring nearly perfect on SAT’s (we’re talking 1400 and 1500’s out of 1600’s) or ACT’s.

This is simply not true. The majority of universities will admit without a college diploma if standardized test scores are sufficiently high, and this includes “ivy league schools”. This is the reason you see many 16 year olds admitted directly to college. Most of the schools that will not admit without a high school diploma are community colleges, because they have “check lists” instead of adcoms in the admissions process.

 

[purplesunshine]

This is simply not true. The majority of universities will admit without a college diploma if standardized test scores are sufficiently high, and this includes “ivy league schools”. This is the reason you see many 16 year olds admitted directly to college. Most of the schools that will not admit without a high school diploma are community colleges, because they have “check lists” instead of adcoms in the admissions process.

Actually FL the 16yo’s have usually completed most, if not all, requirements for typical hs graduation. And, many of the schools work out a duel enrollment with courses completing both College and HS requirements. Yes, private schools can be more flexible with their admission standards but 99% still want to see that diploma. They also require other signs and signals besides a SAT that foreign students who’ve come to America as citizens (and study abroad students) were never prepared for and don’t have…such as certified extra credit, letters of recommendation…etc. I’ve spoken with such people extendedly, I even had a woman who literally got on a plane and went to PuterRico to go to her old HS and get her transcript. (then she visited family).