What is an adult high school diploma program? How can it help me?

These diploma programs are for adults who didn’t finish high school, and who want to complete the courses normally required for high school graduation (instead of taking a GED or high school equivalency test).[2806] High school diploma programs are offered in most jails and prisons, and in adult schools and community colleges throughout California.[2807]

In most adult high school diploma programs, you can choose to enroll in traditional classes, or to complete courses at your own pace through individual study and regular check-ins with teachers.[2808] In addition, some programs also allow you to complete correspondence courses through mail or email with teachers (for details on distance learning, see PG. 876; for correspondence programs, see PG. 878). After completing all of the required courses, you will have to pass an “exit” exam, called the California High School Exit Examination (CAHSEE) to receive your high school diploma.[2809] All students in California public schools must pass the CAHSEE before they are awarded a high school diploma. This includes people who earn their diploma while incarcerated.

  1. 2806

    U.S. Dep’t of Educ. Office of Vocational & Adult Educ., Take Charge of Your Future: Get the Education and Training You Need (2012).

  2. 2807

    Adult schools are funded by the state and the national government. Cal. Veh. Code §§ 52501–52503; Cal. Code Regs. tit. 5 § 10560; Workforce Investment Act of 1998, 20 U.S.C.§ 9201 (1998); Adult Education Program Overview, Cal. Dep’t of Educ., www.cde.ca.gov/sp/ae/po/.

  3. 2808

    Adult Education Programs, Cal. Adult Schs., www.californiaadultschools.org/cas/programs#core5.

  4. 2809

    Earning Your California High School Diploma, Education Portal, www.education-portal.com/articles/Earning_Your_California_High_School_Diploma.html.