What does it mean when a student is on a certificate track?

The CA Transition Alliance states that students working toward a certificate should “have significant cognitive impairments, take alternative assessments, and [be] unable to demonstrate subject matter competence in diploma track classes, even with differential proficiency standards, accommodations, and modifications to the courses and curriculum required to do so.”

Students on the certificate path will attend graduation and participate in transition services from the school district. They will also have access to more elective courses and many (non-degree) community college classes. Students without a diploma may still attend community colleges and trade schools that don’t require diplomas, and transition to independent living classes available at inclusive colleges.

For more information about the various pathways to a high school diploma, see this article.