FCAT Refugees Look to Maine High School for Diploma, the FCAT Loophole, to Bypass Exit Exams
Students who cannot pass their high school exit exams are refugees of their states. For four years they did everything they were told to do, but in the end they could not pass this one, single, high stakes test. They find out, “Sorry, four years or not, good work or not, no diploma!” It doesn’t seem fair, but year after year exit exam refugees are made with every test. A Maine private school bypasses all of this to provide an answer.
(PRWEB) January 25, 2005 -- Each year in Florida, FCAT refugees make up about
10 per cent of the high school seniors. That’s nearly 15,000 FCAT refugees who
would have graduated with enough passing grades, enough high school credits, and
enough attendance to earn a high school diploma. But, they could not pass that
one high stakes test. In conclusion, the political climate of their state made
each into an FCAT refugee. Where do refugees turn? They turn to other states
that do not have exit exams.
Maine has no exit exams required. The North
Atlantic Regional High School in Lewiston, Maine has worked with the FCAT
refugees for 2 years. School Administrator, Steve Moitozo reports, “Students
from Florida public schools have transferred their credits to NARHS, and if they
have the required 17.5 credits required by NARHS, they receive their high school
diploma from our state-authorized, fully accredited private school.” Moitozo
adds, “Earning a high school diploma from Maine does not affect a student’s
residency status. The student still qualifies for discounted in-state college
tuition from the state where they live.”
Students own their high school
credits. The credits belong to the students. The students can transfer their
credits to a school out-of-state if they wish. So far, about 200 FCAT refugees
from Florida have found a safe place in this Maine high school and graduated
from the school. NARHS graduates have been accepted in colleges and universities
all over the country, including Penn State, Florida State University, University
of Miami, University of Central Florida, Harvard, Julliard, Cornell, Purdue,
Johns Hopkins, to name a few.
Moitozo says, “NARHS provides a legal
loophole for these students to get the high school diploma they have rightfully
earned.” A special web site has been established by the North Atlantic Regional
High School to lead families in the process, www.narhs.org/FCAT. Students wondering if they have enough
credits to qualify for the Maine high school diploma may find the school's free
Transcript Evaluation service exactly what they need.
Families pay for
this service. NARHS is a private school and receives no public funds, so private
tuition is required. A graduating senior’s total tuition is $444.00.
About the North Atlantic Regional High School:
Founded in 1989 under
the provisions of Maine law, NARHS is a state-authorized private school, fully
accredited by the National Private Schools Association. For complete information
and to request their free 99-page High School Handbook, visit www.NARHS.org.
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Source : http://www.prweb.com/releases/2005/1/prweb200623.htm