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The Los Angeles Unified Schoolhouse Commune has identified at least 8,069 former students who are eligible for high school diplomas after failing the California Loftier School Leave Exam.

The students are those who failed the test but met every other graduation requirement. The district, the nation's second-largest, volition soon brainstorm notifying eligible students through the mail service, and will launch a website then old students tin can make up one's mind if they authorize, commune officials said this week.

Gov. Jerry Brown signed into law earlier this calendar month Senate Bill 172, which will require districts statewide to retroactively award diplomas to students from as far back as the grade of 2006.

"The district is in the process of verifying students' academic records to ensure they run across the criteria," said Barbara Jones, a district spokeswoman.

The website "volition allow us to reach those who may have moved or who we otherwise may have missed," Jones said.

Los Angeles Unified and other districts that are coordinating outreach efforts will start issuing the diplomas later on Jan. i, when the new police takes effect.

Only students who earned necessary credits and passed all required classes tin receive a diploma, co-ordinate to the new police.

More than 40,000 students statewide are estimated to authorize for retroactive diplomas.

Jones said Los Angeles Unified staff started poring over records of former students in September, after the country Legislature overwhelmingly canonical SB 172.

"Existing employees from a number of divisions are working together on this project," Jones said. "At this point, the cost of press the diplomas is the only expense that has been identified."

Since 2006, the first year the leave test served every bit a graduation requirement, more 250,000 Los Angeles Unified seniors received diplomas later passing the test and meeting other graduation requirements.

Nearly of the 8,069 students without diplomas, including 272 from the class of 2015, struggled through multiple attempts at passing the examination, Jones said. Some continued taking the test even after the terminate of their senior twelvemonth.

SB 172, authored by Sen. Carol Liu, D­-La Cañada Flintridge, removes the get out exam as a requirement for graduation for students who nevertheless haven't passed because they no longer have an opportunity to accept the exam.

The state is no longer administering the go out test later its contract with the test's publisher expired. May was the concluding fourth dimension the exam was given to students.

The new police also suspends the exit examination as a requirement for graduation through 2018. Meanwhile, lawmakers and educators will make up one's mind if the land should create a new version of the test that'south aligned with the Mutual Core State Standards, or eliminate it altogether every bit a graduation requirement in the future.

Statewide, other districts have also started reviewing records of former students to endeavor to identify those now eligible for diplomas.

At the Santa Ana Unified School District, officials recently began searching through transcripts.

"Nosotros are looking into this issue very carefully and will communicate out the process and timeline as soon as we are set up," said Santa Ana Unified spokeswoman Deidra Powell. "Once that is in place, the verification process is non very difficult and should exist able to be completed in a reasonable time."

The San Francisco Unified School District has already posted an online form for former students to fill out if they believe they qualify for a diploma.

The district estimates that about 700 former students will be awarded diplomas retroactively.

"I volition not be embarrassed to utilize to new and better jobs. It will finally bring peace from all the anxiety I had of not being able to pass the examination," said Mayra Olson, a former student from the class of 2007.

Private San Francisco high schools are also using their networks, including social media, to reach out to former students who might qualify, said district spokeswoman Gentle Blythe.

San Francisco Unified has hired a full-time counselor to review transcripts.

The state Department of Instruction has non notwithstanding released guidelines for how districts should procedure, review or contact former students. Until now, land officials take encouraged former students who believe they're eligible for diplomas to call their district directly.

Mayra Olson, from Chula Vista, was supposed to graduate in 2007 from Hilltop High School. But she could non pass the math portion of the test.

Olson, at present 26, said receiving a diploma now will permit her to finally close a painful and frustrating chapter of her life.

"It will mean the consummate world to me," said Olson, who works as a part-time legal banana and plans to somewhen enroll at a academy. "I will not be embarrassed to apply to new and better jobs. Information technology volition finally bring peace from all the anxiety I had of not being able to pass the test."

EdSource Today staff author Sarah Tully contributed to this study.

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