Return to Headlines

Diplomas for Certain Individuals who entered grade 9 before 2011-2012 school year

People who entered high school in Texas prior to the 2011-2012 school year, but did not graduate due to failing part of the TAKS, TAAS or TEAMS tests, may be eligible for a second chance at receiving their high school diploma by taking advantage of a rule passed by the Texas legislature that went into effect in May 2018, and for which the deadline is September 1, 2023.

Effective beginning with the 2017-2018 school year a school district or an open-enrollment charter school may award a high school diploma to an individual who:

  • entered Grade 9 before the 2011-2012 school year;
  • successfully completed the curriculum requirements for high school graduation applicable to the individual when the individual entered Grade 9;
  • has not performed satisfactorily on an assessment instrument or a part of an assessment instrument required for high school graduation;
  • has been administered at least three times the required subject-areas test(s) for which the individual has not performed satisfactorily on the exit-level assessment; and
  • meets the alternative requirements for graduation in accordance with Texas Administrative Code (TAC) 74.1027. If you have questions about TAC §74.1027, please contact the Curriculum Standards and Student Support Division at (512) 463-9581 or curriculum@tea.texas.gov.

Any former Elgin High School student that meets the criteria listed above may contact the school district to request a district decision regarding whether he or she qualifies to graduate and receive a high school diploma under the alternative requirements for graduation. To request a district decision, please contact Teresa Hill, Director of Program Support and Guidance via email at teresa.hill@elginisd.net.