Fall 2008 - Maryland School for the Deaf

Raising the Bar
Kevin Strachan, Assistant Principal, High School, FC, kevin.strachan@msd.edu
“What does it mean to be an American?
Well, to me, it means that no
matter who you are or how
many problems you have,
in America, everybody has a chance.”
—Fourth-grade African-
American Student
What happened to the MSD Diploma?
Since 1869 the Maryland School
for the Deaf has offered its graduates an
MSD diploma. And for some fifteen years,
most MSD graduates earned both the
MSD diploma and the Maryland High
School Diploma. The Maryland School
for the Deaf was unique in its ability to
offer two diplomas to its
students.
But in the wake of
the No Child Left Behind
(NCLB) legislation, the
MSD diploma is no longer
an option. In the eyes
of the law, all students
are equal, all striving
toward the same goal, and
therefore, all pursuing
the same diploma.
All high school
students in the state of
Maryland—including
those with disabilities—
are expected to be pursuing
a Maryland High School Diploma. This
means students at MSD are expected
to have access to the general education
curriculum and meet the same attendance,
credit, course, assessment, and service
learning requirements as their nondisabled
peers all over the state.
Students who are unable to achieve
these expectations upon graduation
from high school receive a Certificate of
Program Completion.
So what is required to graduate with
a Maryland High School Diploma?
As has been true for years and years
now, students take and pass classes to earn
21 credits (most of which are required)
in English, Mathematics, Science, Social
Studies, and the Fine Arts. Students must
also earn 75 hours of Student Service
Learning (SSL) or volunteer service.
The most difficult requirement to
meet in order to graduate is the passing of
the Maryland High School Assessments
(HSAs). These are standardized tests
that measure student progress toward
the High School Core Learning Goals
of Maryland.
The assessments consist of four timed
exams—English 10, Algebra/Data
Analysis, Biology, and Government—
given at the end of the corresponding
courses; there are several options that
count toward earning the Maryland High
School Diploma.
Option 1: Regular HSA Assessments
Most students satisfy the HSA
requirement by passing all four of the
assessments. Scores needed to pass are:
2 THE MARYLAND BULLETIN, FALL 2008
English — 396
Algebra/Data Analysis — 412
Biology — 400
Government — 394
The HSA assessments are now
offered four times a year (five during
the senior year).
Option 2: Combined Score Option
A student who does not pass each test
will still be eligible for graduation. The
combined score option requires that the
student earn a minimum total score on
all four HSAs of at least 1602. Following
this option, a student may technically
fail one or more HSA tests if his or her
scores on the remaining
tests are high enough
to make the 1602 cut
off. Once the student
receives a composite
score on the four tests of
1602 or above, the HSA
graduation requirement
has been met.
Option 3: Mod-HSA
Students with
disabilities and with
significant delays in
reading will qualify
for the Mod-HSA in
English 10, Biology, and
Government. Likewise a student with
a disability and significant math delays
qualifies for the Mod-HSA in Algebra/
Data Analysis.
The Mod-HSAs are still very challenging
tests. While they maintain the academic
rigor of the standard HSA tests, they are
shorter in length and more “user friendly.”
A less grueling test session will allow these
students to better show what they know.
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