Get Your Students Hired
Last year we were provided at a conference given by our acrediting agency with a "Black List" of schools that their High School diplomas were not valid or acceptable proof of High School completion. This list was not prepared by the Department of Education but by another independent institution. How do you feel about this so called " Black List" and how are handling the validation process of High School diplomas presented by a prospective student at time of enrollment?
I agree that there should be more guidance. Some schools are clearly diploma mills and others are more difficult to ascertain. The schools we struggle with most are those that market ground classes, testing and a developed curriculum. If you follow up on the telephone they provide the same information yet in practice they do not follow through. Our accrediting body has created a list of these institutions for its member institutions yet the list is by no means comprehensive.
Is it acceptable to say if the high-school is recognized by the Florida Board of Education it is acceptable to us?
It would be great is there was an official list of diploma mills and/or verify the diplomas
Elaine,
It is very important to research and verify the validity of high school diplomas.
I think this would be a great asset not only to Admissions, but to Financial Planning as well since in the State of Florida, this is one of our required documents.
Catalina,
It is very complicated in the regulation of diploma mills. To provide a list requires oversight and validation.
I personally think it is a contradiction because as an admissions rep you are advised that you are not to deny anyone from enrollment but then a list NOT provided from the DOE is denying that enrollment. This is giving a false hope of enrollment to the institution along with picking and choosing policies and procedures to follow and it at times become incoherent because one accrediting body does not agree or interprets guidelines than what is stated on the DOE board.
It is very interesting, we have a lot of people with no accepted diplomas! I would like to know more about this topic, I don't want to lost more students :)
Bobbet,
Most employers today require a high school diploma for employment. This is one reason why most schools require it for allied health.
I think it is imperative that everyone enrolling in an Allied Health Program should have a High School Diploma, reason being it give the instiution an idea that the prospective student has completed the eleventh grade and is ready for further education.
Elisa,
Interesting...I would be curious as to how they determine who makes the list as well as how they keep it updated.
Patty,
The list is not published by the DOE but we do have a copy of the list that was provided to us by ACCET and when we had our financial audit this year the auditors made a recomendation to have every student attending school whose hight school diplomas were issued by one of these school take the ATB test.
Patty,
I know that. I am just saying that if we must use this black list as a point of reference to make sure the school is not one listed then the list should come from the DOE itselft not by another institution.
Elisa,
You would always refer back to the regulatory body. They do not produced "blacklists." They do, however, produce the "good lists."
Marlena,
The state does not distribute a list and a black list does not exist. The state does regulate public schools and has a website called School Choice where you can research the nonpublics.