the diploma mill alternative: the regionally … · 8/4/2011 · with a regular high school...

THE DIPLOMA MILL ALTERNATIVE:

THE REGIONALLY ACCREDITED VIRTUAL HIGH

SCHOOL

Presented by:

Donald Jones, American Central High School

Howard Liebman, Smart Horizons Career Online Education

Gene Hart, Hart Investigations

Gregory Jones, American Central High School

REENGAGING HIGH SCHOOL DROP OUTS


Presented by

HOWARD LIEBMAN, SUPERINTENDENTSMART HORIZONS

CAREER ONLINE EDUCATION

Smart Horizons August 4, 2011


Smart Horizons Career Online Education a national leader in delivering affordable, career‐based online education to students throughout the world. Founded in 2009 and located in Pensacola, Florida, Smart Horizons Career Online High School offers complete 18‐credit,

career‐based high school diplomas, designed to prepare students for entrance into or advancement within the workplace.

Howard Liebman, Ph.D. ‐ Cofounder & Superintendent of SchoolsA visionary in the field of innovative online education, Dr. Howard A. Liebman is a nationally recognized educator and entrepreneur with

experience in founding and leading successful public and private education‐related enterprises.

HOWARD LIEBMAN, SUPERINTENDENT, SMART HORIZONS CAREER ONLINE EDUCATION



Drop Out Crisis

• US Representative George Miller (D‐CA), chair of the committee on education and labor notes, – "the crisis we're seeing in our nation's high schools is real, it's urgent, and it must be fixed. It's become increasingly clear that addressing the dropout crisis is on of the most important things we can do to turn our economy around and regain our competitive footing for good.“


Albright, A., & Salmanowitz, M. (2009, May 12). High School Dropout Crisis Threatens U.S. Economic Growth and Competiveness, Witnesses Tell House Panel. Committee on Educatoin & Labor, United States House of

Representatives. Retrieved from http://edlabor.house.gov/newsroom/2009/05/high‐school‐dropout‐crisis‐thr.shtml


Consider the Following

• Nationwide, 7,000 students drop out every day and only about 70 percent of students graduate from high school with a regular high school diploma.

• Across United States public schools, just 74.9 percent of students who were freshmen in the fall of 2004 graduated from high school on time in 2008


Albright, A., & Salmanowitz, M. (2009, May 12). High School Dropout Crisis Threatens U.S. Economic Growth and Competiveness, Witnesses Tell House Panel. Committee on Educatoin & Labor, United States House of

Representatives. Retrieved from http://edlabor.house.gov/newsroom/2009/05/high‐school‐dropout‐crisis‐thr.shtml

National Center for Educational Statistics, 2010


Incentive to Obtain a High School Diploma

• Without a high school diploma, median income is approximately $24,000.– More likely to be unemployed.– More likely to have health problems– More likely to incarcerated.


Cataldi, E., Laird, J., KewalRamani, A., & Chapman, C. (2009). High School Dropoout and Completion Rates in the United States: 2007 ( No. IES 2009‐064, NCES NCES 2009‐064) (p. 84). National Center for Education Statistics, Institue of Education Sciences, US

Department of Education. Retrieved from http://nces.ed.gov/pubs2009/2009064.pdf


2007‐2008 Graduation Rate by State



Drop Out Traits and Behaviors

• Regularly misses school, continued absences leading to poor academic performance and noninvolvement in school activities.

• Does not participate in extracurricular activities.• Receives more counseling than most students.• Exhibits a genuine dislike for school.• Typically has poor grades.• Is one or two academic levels below grade level.• Has been retained one or more times.• Has failed three to five classes by high school.• Struggles with discipline.• Comes from a low socio‐economic background.• Has a family that moves a lot.


DIPLOMA MILLS AND FRAUDULENT DOCUMENTS

A DISCUSSION OF DIPLOMA MILLS AND

FRAUDULENT DOCUMENTS

Presented By

R. GENE HART, CFE

HART INVESTIGATIONS, INC.

Hart Investigations, Inc. August 4, 2011


Since 1981 Hart Investigations has conducted investigations for many corporations, colleges, proprietary schools, and technical schools throughout the United States, Puerto Rico and Canada. We have worked with the Inspector General’s Office, Department of Education, the California Student Aid Commission and various other agencies on institutional problems.

Hart Investigations has reported hundreds of cases to federal and state agencies on violations since 1981, and assisted in the prosecution of those responsible for the improper and illegal conduct.

In addition, we investigate violations of the Cleary Act (reporting of crime on and around campus), college hazing, and federal work‐study program issues.

Mr. Gene Hart, founder and president of Hart Investigations has nearly 40 years of law enforcement and investigative experience.

R. GENE HART, CFEHART INVESTIGATIONS, INC



DIPLOMA MILLS

There are thousands of diploma mills throughout the United States and foreign countries.

Diploma mills are an estimated $300 million a year

industry.

Diploma mills have been around for years.

In the 1980’s two of the most popular were:1. Calvary High School, Ingles, Florida2. St. John’s University, Springfield, Louisiana

Several diploma mills are operated by former school personnel.Hart Investigations, Inc. August 4, 2011


DIPLOMA MILLS



DIPLOMA MILLS

Admission personnel find ways to meet their goal.



DIPLOMA MILLS



False GED’s and diplomas are purchased every day.

There are countless ads in magazines and online.



School personnel create false educational documents

and templates.





St. Louis, Missouri – GED’S‐R‐US




Kansas City, Missouri – Admissions Representative made

diplomas and GED’s for students.




Two Admissions Representatives and School Director

indicted.



Fraudulent Documents


Fraudulent Documents

Chicago, Illinois – Admissions Representatives and DOA

made diplomas and GED’s for students.




Fort Lauderdale, Florida – Federal program review

identified diploma on their infamous Blacklist.




School audits all files and found several diplomas and

GED’s were compromised.




Students make their own diplomas.




Colleges sell grades and diplomas.



Schools strive for students and enrollments.

Wonderlic de‐certified two Proctors.




Basic warning signs.




Basic Warning Signs


“Life Experience” earns you a degree: Real colleges may give a few credits for real‐world experience but no legitimate school would give you a master’s in business administration jus because you own your own business, or award you a doctorate in divinity because you taught Sunday school.

No homework required: Legitimate schools require substantial homework.

Flat fee: Real colleges charge by the credit hour.

No waiting: Operation that promise degrees in a matter of days, weeks or months are not legitimate. A legitimate degree takes time.

Basic Warning Signs



Characteristics of diploma mills:

• Name of institution is deceptively similar to well‐known reputable universities.

• Degrees can be obtained within a few days, weeks or months from the time of enrollment, and back‐dating is possible.

• Either there are no faculty members or they hold advanced degrees from the institution itself or from other diploma mills.

• Academic credit is offered for “life experience”.

• Tuition & fees are paid on a per‐degree basis rather than on a per‐semester, per‐quarter or per‐course basis.

Diploma Mills



Characteristics of diploma mills:• Prospective students are encouraged to “enroll now”

before tuition or fees are increased.

• The institution has no library personnel, publications or research.

• Promotional literature contains grammatical and spelling errors, words in Latin, extravagant or pretentious language and sample diplomas.

• The school is advertised using e‐mail spam or other questionable methods.

• Jurisdiction shopping: the school is situated in another country or legal jurisdiction, where running diploma mill is legal, standards are lax or prosecution is unlikely.

Diploma Mills




• Prospective students are encouraged to “enroll now”before tuition or fees are increased.

• The institution has no library personnel, publications or research.

• Promotional literature contains grammatical and spelling errors, words in Latin, extravagant or pretentious language and sample diplomas.

• The school is advertised using e‐mail spam or other questionable methods.

Diploma Mills




• Despite being situated in such a diploma mill‐friendly country, the school has no students from that country, and is run entirely by non‐native staff.

• Unusual academic subjects. Instead of “hard sciences”, where competence is easier to verify, the subjects are esoteric and may be based on pseudoscience, e.g. astrology, natural healing and religious literature.

Diploma Mills



A message from the Inspector General – GAO – F. T. C. –News Media – Hart Investigations


American Central High School

‐What is it?‐ Strategic partnerships