State Graduation Policies for Students with Disabilities Martha Thurlow and Sheryl Lazarus State Graduation Policies for Students with Disabilities NCEO-NAC is supported through a cooperative agreement between the University of Minnesota, National Center on Educational Outcomes (NCEO) (#H326G110002) and the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS), Office of Special Education Programs. The materials do not necessarily reflect the position or policy of the U.S. Department of Education or Offices within it. Project Officer: David Egnor.

ESSA Requirements Title I accountability requires inclusion of the adjusted cohort graduation rate (ACGR), or an extended-year ACGR. ACGR = the number of students who graduate in four years with a regular high school diploma divided by the number of students who entered high school four years earlier (adjusted for transfers, émigrés, and those who died). ACGR is used by the federal government as a measure of states’ success in ensuring that all students are college- and career-ready when they leave high school with a regular or advanced diploma.

ESSA Requirements (2) Extended-year ACGR = # students earning regular diploma before, during, or at the conclusion of one or more additional years beyond the fourth year or a summer session immediately following the additional year of high school # students with most significant cognitive disabilities who are awarded a State-defined alternate diploma

ESSA Requirements (3) State-defined alternate diploma must meet specific criteria: Standards-based Aligned with State requirements for the regular high school diploma Obtained within the time period for which the State ensures the availability of FAPE

Questions Addressed Are the course requirements to earn a regular diploma different for students with disabilities compared to their peers without disabilities? What are the course requirements for students with disabilities when they are different from those of their peers without disabilities? Amy Hewitt

Questions Addressed (2) Are the assessment requirements to earn a regular diploma different for students with disabilities compared to their peers without disabilities? Do the requirements differ across states? Do the requirements differ from other students? Are there other end-of-school documents students with disabilities can earn? What is required to earn them?

State Graduation Policy Analyses Two Analyses Students with disabilities who participated in general assessment Student with significant cognitive disabilities who participated in alternate assessment (NCEO Synthesis Reports #97 and #98) Also, interactive graduation policy information available (Data Analytics #3 and #4) Available at www.nceo.info

Students with Disabilities Who Participated in General Assessments Method NCEO staff searched for information on state department of education websites. Compared requirements for students with disabilities to those for students without disabilities Categorized as: Same – the same requirements for students with and without disabilities Close to – the general requirements are similar, but some limitations or adjustment can be made (for example, same number of course credits, but allow different courses, or a different test may be used). Far from –authority for the requirements to graduate are turned over to the IEP team.

Course Requirements

Course Requirements in the States that are Close to

Course Requirements in States that are Far from Number of states

Exit Exam Requirement

Exit Exam Requirements in the States with Exit Exam Number of states

Exit Exam Requirements in the States that were Close to Number of states

Exit Exam Requirements in the States that were Far from

Students with Disabilities Who Participated in Alternate Assessments Based on Alternate Achievement Standards (AA-AAS) Method NCEO staff searched for information on state department of education websites. States allowing students in AA-AAS to receive a regular diploma were assigned a category (see table below). If a state fit in two categories, it was put in the category “farthest away” from the criterion used for all students.

Percent of States that Allow Students in the AA-AAS to Receive a Regular Diploma . Only one state did not offer a regular diploma or any other end-of-school document to these students. Nearly 70% of states allowed students in AA-AAS to receive a regular diploma.

Criteria for Students in AA-AAS to Earn Regular Diploma .

Criteria for Other End-of-school Documents for Students in AA-AAS States that Allowed a Regular Diploma

States that Did not Allow a Regular Diploma Criteria for other end-of-school documents for students who participated in AA-AAS States that Did not Allow a Regular Diploma Number of States

Discussion Questions How can states ensure that students with disabilities are appropriately included in graduation policies? How can states work with districts when district policies seem to contradict state policies to some degree? What else needs to happen to successfully include students with disabilities in graduation policies?

For More Information Martha Thurlow Sheryl Lazarus Email: thurl001@umn.edu Sheryl Lazarus Email: laza0019@umn.edu

Resources www.nceo.info National Center on Educational Outcomes (NCEO) Reports Graduation policies for students with significant cognitive disabilities who participate in states’ AA-AAS (Synthesis Report 97) Graduation policies for students with disabilities who participate in states’ general assessments (Synthesis Report 98) Interactive Data Reports Graduation policies for students with significant cognitive disabilities who participate in states’ AA-AAS (Data Analytics #1) Graduation policies for students with disabilities who participate in states’ General Assessment (Data Analytics #3)