Part (i) of section 1D of chapter 69 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2006 Official Edition, is hereby amended by adding after the second sentence the following sentence:-

Students who have demonstrated competency under this section by passing the state’s assessment tests, i.e., the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS), shall be granted a Commonwealth Diploma issued by the state Department of Education.  Students who have demonstrated competency under this section by meeting the academic standards and curriculum frameworks enumerated in this section by satisfying the requirements of their local school committee shall be granted a Horace Mann Diploma issued by the local school committee.  Students may receive either one or both diplomas.  Issuance of either the Commonwealth or the Horace Mann Diploma to a student will certify that a student has met the competency determination described in this section and will entitle a student to all the rights and privileges of high school graduation.