For a long time, graduates crossing the stage would receive their diplomas to celebrate their achievements throughout their high school careers. It was something that everyone received while walking into their new chapter of life, their 24 credit diplomas.
Now, 20 credit diplomas might be what some students get at the coming graduation ceremony taking place in June. For this 20 credit diploma to happen, Kaitlin Burkhardt, Director of School Counseling, and Angela Harrison, School Counselor, both have been involved in the process with students.
“A lot of it is going through school counselors just because we are almost the first line of defense here with this,” Harrison said. “They would normally come to a school counselor and say ‘this is what my thought is’. So, the school counselor is involved.”
If students are looking to get out of high school early to pursue a certain career or are struggling in the high school environment, planning to go for the 20 credit diploma might be right for them. To do this, there will be a process to see what they will do with their time post graduation.
“This plan must be approved by the Principal, Director of School Counseling, and ultimately the Superintendent,” Burkhardt said. “This includes college, employment, internships, trade school and or the military. While graduating early may seem enticing, the goal of it is often to move into the next phase of life and careful thought must be placed into the decision.”
Along with the new 20 credit diploma, Adult Ed also uses a 20 credit Diploma. However, the schedule of how the diploma will be used will be different for students.
“The ones that will move towards the 20 credit day diploma will still be here during the day,” Harrison said. “They will be taking regular classes and they’ll have a regular schedule here.”
Graduating alongside their class is something that users of the new 20 credit diploma will experience.
“If students get those 20 credits by the end of January first semester then they will still walk in June with their class at graduation,” Harrison said. “The person who is doing the 20 credit day diploma versus Adult Ed are in different mindsets.”
The transcripts that the 20 credit students will receive will say that they received the, “Londonderry High School State Standard Diploma”. Students are “encouraged” by administrators to research admissions requirements to schools they are interested in as the requirements differ among schools.
“The acceptance of a 20 credit diploma depends on the admission requirements of individual colleges and universities,” Burkhardt said. “The 20 credit diploma may not include the additional courses that more selective colleges look for. A diploma meeting state standards may be sufficient for many colleges and community colleges.”
As they come with everything, pros and cons are involved in the 20 credit diploma. Students as individuals should figure out their own pros and cons of the 20 credits depending on their high school life. Whether they do sports or they are looking to spend less time at school, the pros and cons depend on every individual.
“While the 20 credit diploma offers flexibility, its standards may not always meet the admissions requirements of highly selective schools,” Burkhardt said. “In today’s world, there are many pathways to success.”
As the diploma is new, information regarding the diploma and how it goes for students will be available as some of this year’s 2025 graduates are using the program. The program is a new opportunity for students that are looking for something different.
“Our goal is to support them in finding the pathway that best meets their needs and helps them achieve their goals,” Burkhardt said. “The 20 credit option provides another pathway for those who need it.”
