In Chalkbeat, Monica Disare looks at how one state has tried to uphold rigorous standards for high school graduation when not all students are going to be able to meet those standards.

At one end of the spectrum, some wonder if New York should follow the 37 other states that have already eliminated exit exams amid growing evidence that they don’t prepare students for life after high school. A different camp, though, thinks the state should double down on the basic graduation framework, sticking to exams and high standards as states like Massachusetts have done.

In an Education Next forum, three authors debate another proposed solution — whether states should adopt a two-tiered diploma, in which students who pass an exit exam at a career- and college-ready level receive an “academic” diploma while students who fail to meet that bar receive a “basic” diploma.

“Rethinking the High School Diploma” appeared in the Winter 2015 issue of EdNext and included contributions from Chester E. Finn, Jr., Richard D. Kahlenberg and Sandy Kress.

— Education Next