The Florida Board of Education voted to end certificates of completion previously awarded to students with disabilities who could not complete the coursework required for a standard high school diploma. Under HB 1105 and the boardâs action, the certificate will no longer be available starting this year.
As a result, students with severe disabilities who cannot earn a standard diploma will finish their school career without that form of recognition. Amy Van Bergen, former head of the Down Syndrome Association of Central Florida and a parent, said her son used his certificate to obtain two jobs at a law office and warned that removing the certificate may limit access to opportunities after high school, including college placement testing and developmental or vocational programs.
The Florida Department of Education said the change aligns with a focus on alternate pathways to completing a standard diploma and stated that Florida law provides multiple diploma pathways. The department also said 2% of the 2023â24 cohort received certificates of completion and cited an 89.7% graduation rate for students in that year.