Chapter 01. Alternate Ways to Earn a High School Diploma

In this chapter, the following terms have the meanings indicated.

Terms Defined.

The High School by Examination program offers an alternate and acceptable way for an individual who has not received a high school diploma is eligible pursuant to Regulation .04 of this chapter to earn a Maryland High School Diploma.

Candidates who successfully complete a Test are awarded a Maryland High School Diploma by the State Board and the Department.

A successful candidate may not be awarded any other Maryland High School Diploma either by the State Board, the Department, or by a local school system.

The Test will measure the major subject area skills required of a high school education as determined by a testing service.

The Test will be offered in modules of each of the major subject areas and each module may be scheduled separately.

The Test is given:

The State Board shall review and approve the State agreement with the Department and a testing service issuing the Test.

Resides in the State of Maryland at the time of testing;

Is not subject to compulsory school attendance set by Education Article, §7-301, Annotated Code of Maryland; and

Either:

Various test centers shall be operated throughout Maryland and online.

Scheduling of the Test shall be done by the applicant via the internet. A link to the Test application, schedule, and other pertinent information shall be posted on the Department's website.

An applicant shall be required to demonstrate identity, age, and residency by providing one of the following at the time of testing:

If none of the forms of identification and residency identified in §A of this regulation are attainable, prior to scheduling a Test, the applicant may apply to the Secretary for a waiver in accordance with the procedures set out in Regulation .18 of this chapter. The applicant shall provide to the Department one or more forms of identification which collectively show name, address, date of birth, signature, and photograph. If the Secretary or the Secretary’s designee is satisfied that the documentation of identification is authentic and valid, and the individual meets age and residency requirements, the Secretary may issue a waiver. The applicant shall present the documentation submitted to the Secretary in support of the waiver to the test center.

In addition to the documentation required in §A or B of this regulation, the applicant shall:

The Department shall establish a reasonable fee schedule for the scheduling of tests, issuance of diplomas and transcripts, and related costs associated with the administration of the Test Program.

Only duplicate copies of official transcripts and diplomas may be issued with remittance of fee.

Confirmation of test date and location shall be transmitted electronically to candidates before the assigned test date.

To be admitted to the test center, each candidate shall present documentation verifying identity, age, and Maryland residency as described in Regulation .06A of this chapter.

To qualify for a Maryland High School Diploma by examination, a candidate shall earn the minimum passing score for each test module and the overall passing score for the entire battery of the Test established by the testing service.

Once a candidate receives a passing score on an individual module, that score remains valid towards the achievement of a Maryland High School Diploma until a new series of tests has been issued by the testing service.

In the event that a new series of tests has been issued, the Secretary may determine how and for how long passing scores on the previous series can be applied to the achievement of a Maryland High School Diploma.

Candidates who have failed one or more modules of the Test and candidates who fail to report to the Test on the assigned date may register for a retest/reschedule and may be charged the applicable testing fee.

Candidates who are retested shall be administered a different form of the Test from that previously administered.

A candidate seeking to retest shall register as proscribed in Regulation .05 of this chapter.

Changes may not be made to a candidate’s record after the diploma has been awarded unless the changes are a result of an error on behalf of the testing service or the Department or a legally verifiable name change.

The Adult Education Director or the Director’s designee shall make changes when the Department is known to be in error.

Each module of the Test, may be taken in a selected language as available from the Testing Service.

If a candidate chooses to take a module in a selected language, the entire module must be taken in the same language.

Separate modules may be taken in different languages if available from the Testing Service.

A candidate who obtains passing scores on the selected language tests and who obtains the required overall passing score, shall be awarded a Maryland High School Diploma.

Accommodations for candidates with disabilities shall be made available. Individuals who request testing accommodations shall provide appropriate documentation of their disability and the need for the requested testing accommodations, prior to scheduling.

An individualized assessment of each request for testing accommodations shall be made based on the documentation provided and in accordance with the documentation policies of the Testing Service.

An applicant, high school graduate, or nongraduate whose records are unobtainable may take the Test and be awarded a diploma without verification of school withdrawal required in Regulation .06C(3) of this chapter by:

Based on the facts and extenuating circumstances of each case, the Adult Education Director or the Director’s designee has discretion to grant or deny requests to take the Test without official verification of school withdrawal.

To protect the security of the tests, the integrity of the testing procedure, and the validity of test scores, the Adult Education Director or the Director’s designee has authority to request from the Testing Service the invalidation and revocation of test scores and to require the candidate to retest.

Misrepresentation of information on the Test application form may result in the revocation of the diploma.

Any violation of testing and test center policy may result in ejection from the test and test center and may result in a revocation of test scores and the Maryland High School Diploma.

Waivers to the requirements of Regulations .06(A) and .07 of this chapter are granted only by the Secretary or the Secretary’s designee in exceptional circumstances if it is in the candidate's best interest and in accordance with testing standards.

If the candidate is a student with a disability who receives special education and related services from a public or nonpublic program, the candidate must request a waiver of withdrawal from the Secretary prior to registration which requires that:

The decision of the Secretary or the Secretary’s designee on a waiver request is final.

A Maryland High School Diploma shall be awarded to all candidates who successfully complete the Test. Diplomas shall be awarded within a reasonable time period by the Department or its designee.

The diplomas shall be awarded by the State Board and the Department and shall bear the signatures of the Board President and the Secretary.

Program Description.

Procedures for Administering the Maryland Adult External High School Program and the Issuance of a Diploma.