Directs the commissioner of education to change the name of the state high school equivalency diploma to the Excelsior diploma

Showing the cosponsors who are on Agora, A to Z. The official record may list more.

• Democratic13
• Republican6

This bill has cosponsors from more than one party.

Shown in neutral colors by design; Agora is non-partisan.

◆ The sponsor's argument

Why Luis R. Sepúlveda says this is needed

One way that a person in New York may obtain their high school equiv- alency (HSE) diploma is by passing the General Educational Development (GED) test, according to the New York State Department of Education, a test that includes sections in Reasoning Through Language Arts (RLA), Mathematical Reasoning, Science and Social Studies and takes approxi- mately 7.5 hours to complete. Earning a high school equivalency diploma has given New Yorkers an educational foundation to put them on a pathway to success and just like other academic diplomas, should be viewed as an accomplishment by the recipient of their hard work and deserves to be celebrated. However, the societal stigma associated with the GED test and earning a high school equivalency diploma has become deeply engrained over time. This has resulted in harmful perceptions about the GED test, the quality of a high school equivalency diploma when compared to a high school diploma, the test takers, their intellectual capabilities, their moti- vations to obtain a high school equivalency diploma, and how having a HSE diploma will impact their career or future educational opportu- nities. While these inaccurate assumptions only lead to continued stigmatization about the high school equivalency diploma, this negative perception can be changed over time, but it requires us to respond in innovative ways. This bill would change the name of the name of the New York state high school equivalency diploma to the Excelsior Diploma while leaving the diploma requirements unchanged. This name change may be viewed as small, but the impact of this stigma is seen beyond New York. Starting in 2023, Illinois changed the name of the state's high school equivalency certificate to the Illinois High School Diploma, accurately reflecting the diploma holder as a high school graduate. The Excelsior Diploma will build upon this movement to end the stigma so that no New Yorker ever feels diminished by society's perception of their achievements and instead move ever upward through life with the knowledge, support, and self- confidence to achieve their dreams.

This is the sponsor's own case for the bill, quoted from their memorandum. It is not Agora's description of what the bill does.