Letter to Superintendents

To: BOCES District Superintendents and Superintendents of Public Schools

From: Kevin G. Smith

Subject: National External Diploma Program (NEDP)

On May 17, 2016, the New York State Board of Regents approved an amendment to Commissioner’s Regulation (CR) 100.7 that adds the National External Diploma Program (NEDP) as a third pathway to a New York State High School Equivalency (HSE) Diploma and lowers from age 21 to age 18, the age at which a candidate is eligible to take the NEDP. Beginning September 1, 2016, Boards of Education will no longer award the local HSE diploma under CR 100.8 as all HSE diplomas will now be awarded by the New York State Education Department (NYSED).

The NEDP, launched in Syracuse in the 1970’s, is an online, competency-based, applied performance assessment system in which participants demonstrate their proficiency through completing a series of tasks that parallel job and life situations. NEDP participants must achieve 100% mastery of all required competencies. A flexible, self-directed program, NEDP is aligned to national standards; most successful participants complete all 70 competencies in six to eight months. Staff who administer the NEDP engage in rigorous training to ensure reliability in the administration and scoring of the assessment.

Prior to the adoption of this regulation, students could earn a New York State HSE Diploma by completing the Test Assessing Secondary Completion (TASCTM), the GED®, or by earning 24 college credits in accordance with the provisions of CR 100.7. More information about the Commissioner’s Regulation 100.7.

NYSED does not have records of local HSE diplomas issued by local education agencies (LEA). Therefore LEAs must maintain records, in perpetuity, of diplomas already issued to NEDP graduates. This record keeping is integral for graduates who previously earned a local HSE diploma to easily access duplicate copies of their documents.

NEDP is administered by Comprehensive Adult Student Assessment Systems (CASAS). Questions about New York State HSE diplomas may be directed to: hse@nysed.gov.

We look forward to your continued support as NYSED works to ensure that all students who would benefit from receiving a New York State HSE Diploma have multiple options to pursue this goal.

Date Issued: August 11, 2016