Following a district board meeting last week which addressed a proposal meant to highlight student achievement, student leaders are reacting with approval to the superintendent’s cancellation of the proposal.

The tentatively titled “Advanced Diploma”, first proposed in June, went through various iterations that could have required students to take four Advanced Placement courses and score a three or higher on each course’s test. On top of that, students would have needed to complete an internship, participate in a speaker series and meet a minimum ACT or SAT score, which was not specified.

At last week’s meeting, Palo Alto Unified School District Superintendent Don Austin confirmed that the “Advanced Diploma” proposal would not move forward.

“I’d like to announce that the plans for the ‘Advanced Diploma’ are finalized,” Austin said. “It’s gone. There’s no support from the students. … [They] told me loud and clear that this is not something that they really wanted to go with.”

Palo Alto High School senior Amalia Tormala, a member of the Superintendent Student Advisory Council, disapproved of the diploma. She said that if it passed there would be barriers for the majority of students to accomplish some of its requirements.

“What was most negative about it for me was that it was an added level between students that would differentiate them,” Tormala said. “I think not all students have the same opportunity to achieve things like internships.”

Paly Student Board Representative Dylan Chen supported Austin’s decision to cancel the proposal.

“The ‘Advanced Diploma’ is just one failed attempt, and the students don’t think it’s the right way to do it,” Chen said. “I applaud the district’s decision in that matter where they listen to the student voice and table the idea.”

Although removing the “Advanced Diploma” possibly eliminates added academic pressure, Tormala said that the district should still encourage students to challenge themselves in a balanced manner.

“It [academic excellence] should be promoted to a healthy extent,” Tormala said. “In general, they’re [the district] on the right path with putting less of an emphasis on excellence and being in the highest lane, and more of an emphasis on getting education.”