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Synthesis Report 98

Graduation Policies for Students with Disabilities Who Participate in States' General Assessments

Martha L. Thurlow, Debra A. Albus, and Sheryl S. Lazarus

July 2015

All rights reserved. Any or all portions of this document may be reproduced and distributed without prior permission, provided the source is cited as:

Thurlow, M. L., Albus, D. A., & Lazarus, S. S. (2015). Graduation policies for students with disabilities who participate in states' general assessments (Synthesis Report 98). Minneapolis, MN: University of Minnesota, National Center on Educational Outcomes.

Acknowledgments

Special thanks are extended to Miong Vang, formerly with the National Center on Educational Outcomes, for her contributions to the collection of web-based information on graduation requirements.

This report is based on our findings from carefully searching state websites for information on graduation requirements for those students who participate in states' general assessments. Although we verified the information with states, in some cases, our interpretation of the written policies that appeared on websites were different from those of the states.

Table of Contents

• Executive Summary
• Overview
• Method
• Results
• Discussion
• References
• Appendix A: State Resources on Graduation Requirements
• Appendix B: Alabama Graduation Requirements for Students Earning a Regular Diploma
• Appendix C: State Course Requirements for Graduation with a Regular Diploma
• Appendix D: State Exit Assessments Requirements for Graduation with a Regular Diploma

Executive Summary

Graduation requirements and diploma options for students with disabilities who participate in the general assessment has been a topic of interest for many years. The recent push for all students, including those with disabilities, to leave school ready for college and career has heightened the importance of understanding what states are requiring of students with disabilities to earn a regular diploma. This investigation explored states' 2014-15 requirements for those students with disabilities who participate in the general assessment to earn a regular diploma, and compared the requirements held for them to the requirements held for their peers. We examined both the course requirements and, in those states that had them, the exit assessment requirements.

Overall, we found that only 14 states held the same graduation requirements for their students with disabilities and their peers. Nine of these states had only course requirements for graduation with a regular diploma and five of them had both course requirements and exit assessment requirements. When looking at course requirements only, 30 of the 51 states had requirements for their students with disabilities that were not the same as those for their peers. When looking at exit assessment requirements only, 19 of the 27 states held less rigorous requirements for their students with disabilities compared to their peers.

Continued attention needs to be given to the graduation requirements for all students, but particularly those students with disabilities who participate in states' general assessments. This attention also must address meeting their instructional needs, and providing appropriate access and accommodations.

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Overview

Graduation from high school with a regular diploma has been given increased attention as states focus on ensuring that their students are college and career ready when they leave school with a diploma. Graduation from high school with a regular or advanced diploma is viewed as the path to post-high school success (e.g., Achieve, 2013; Alliance for Excellent Education, 2009; Cortiella, 2013; Hall, 2007). Considerable attention has been paid to documenting the high school requirements in current state policies (e.g., Education Commission of the States, 2006, 2012) and recommending what high school requirements should ensure college and career readiness (e.g., Achieve, 2004, 2015).

Previous research has documented the considerable variability that existed in states' graduation requirements and diploma options for those students with disabilities who participate in their states' general assessments of English language arts and mathematics (Guy, Shin, Lee, & Thurlow, 1999; Johnson & Thurlow, 2003; Johnson, Thurlow, & Schuelka, 2012; Johnson, Thurlow, & Stout, 2007; Thurlow, Cormier, & Vang, 2009 ). This report extends and updates previous research on graduation policies for students with disabilities who participate in states' general assessments.

Examination of the ways in which students who participate in their states' general assessments qualify to earn a regular diploma is important, in part, because of the federal reliance on the adjusted cohort graduation rate (ACGR) 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. The ACGR is defined as 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). This rate is quite different from other rates (Urban Institute, 2014), including the one-year rate that many states used in the past, and the exiting rate used by the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP).

OSEP requires that states report a Leaver Rate (IDEA Section 618), which for graduation with a regular diploma involves dividing the number of students with disabilities ages 14 and older earning a regular high school diploma by the number of students with disabilities ages 14 and older leaving school either by earning a diploma, a certificate, or other document, or by dropping out (adjusted for those students who had reached maximum age and those who had died). For this Leaver Rate, a regular diploma is defined as the same diploma available to all students.

Regardless of the measure used, graduation rates for students with disabilities historically have lagged behind those for students without disabilities. For example, in 2010, the U.S. Department of Education estimated that the graduation rate for students receiving special education services was about 50%, compared to a national graduation rate of 75% (Stillwell, Sable, & Plotts, 2011). These data were based on still another calculation method—the averaged freshman graduation rate (AFGR). AFGR is used by the National Center for Education Statistics to estimate, without having individual student data, the proportion of high school freshmen who graduate with a regular diploma four years after starting ninth grade (Balfanz, Bridgeland, Bruce, & Fox, 2013).

The ACGR data, which are based on individual student data files, nevertheless are quite discouraging for students with disabilities who receive special education services. For example, for the 2010-11 school year, ACGR for students with disabilities ranged from 23% (Mississippi and Nevada) to 84% (South Dakota), and gaps between all students and students with disabilities were as high as a 52-percentage point difference (Cortiella, 2013). For 2011-12, the ACGR for students with disabilities ranged from 24% (Nevada) to 81% (Montana); the gaps between all students and students with disabilities were as high as 43% in 2011-12 (Stetser & Stillwell, 2014). These data were based on all students with disabilities who received special education services, including those students with significant cognitive disabilities. Previous research has documented the considerable variability in states' policies about whether students with significant cognitive disabilities can earn a regular diploma and the criteria that they must meet to do so (Thurlow, Albus, Lazarus, & Vang, 2015).

The National Center on Educational Outcomes (NCEO) has conducted several surveys of states to learn more about diploma options, graduation requirements, and exit exams for youth with disabilities (Johnson, Thurlow, & Schuelka, 2012; Thurlow, Cormier, & Vang, 2009). Surveys can provide a picture of the ways in which students can earn a regular diploma. Still, survey data are sometimes difficult to interpret, so there is a need for the analysis of states' written policies on graduation requirements. States' written policies provide documentation of current policies and practices for students with disabilities who participate in their states' general assessments. This view is particularly important to obtain because of the increasing emphasis on college and career readiness for all students, including those with disabilities.

The purpose of this analysis of states' graduation policies for students with disabilities who participate in the general assessment was to address four questions:

1. Are the course requirements to earn a regular diploma different for students with disabilities compared to their peers without disabilities?
2. What are the course requirements for students with disabilities when they are different from those of their peers without disabilities?
3. Are the assessment requirements to earn a regular diploma different for students with disabilities compared to their peers without disabilities?
4. What are the assessment requirements for students with disabilities when they are different from those of their peers without disabilities?
   

Method

Four NCEO staff members searched state department of education websites for information on graduation requirements for students with disabilities who participate in the general state assessment. We specifically looked for information on: (a) course requirements, and (b) assessment requirements.

Prior to starting our search of websites and our analysis of findings, we identified the specific documents that counted as a regular diploma in each of the 50 states and the District of Columbia. These included only those diplomas that counted for the Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate. In other words, they included what states considered to be their regular diploma as well as any "advanced" diplomas that the states provided to students meeting the criteria for them. This is consistent with the federal definition of a "regular high school diploma" used by the U.S. Department of Education:

The standard high school diploma awarded to students in a state that is fully aligned with the state's academic content standards and does not include a high school equivalency credential, certificate of attendance, or any alternative award. The term also includes a "high diploma" that is awarded to students who complete requirements above and beyond what is required for a regular diploma (34 C.F.R. §200.19(b)(1)(iv))

The names of the diplomas that counted as "regular" for each of the 50 states are presented in Table 1.

Table 1. Names of Regular Diplomas

¹ Oregon counts the Modified Diploma for its calculation of ACGR, starting in 2014-15 (see Oregon Department of Education, 2015).

Using the diplomas listed in Table 1 as the starting point, information was gathered from states' websites on the course and assessment criteria associated with earning those diplomas.

After all information had been collected, we compared the requirements for students with disabilities to those for students without disabilities. We did this by examining the language related to students with disabilities and determining whether they were the same or different from those for their peers. This document analysis was specifically focused on students with IEPs who participated in the general assessment. If the language applied only to students with disabilities who participated in the alternate assessment based on alternate achievement standards (AA-AAS), it was not included in this analysis.

When the requirements for students with disabilities were determined to be different from those for their peers without disabilities, we judged the extent of the difference. We identified the difference as being close to or far from the requirements for students without disabilities, using the following definitions:

Close to – the general requirements are similar, but some limitations or adjustments can be made. For example, although the same number of credits may be required, the specific courses needed to earn those credits may be different for students with disabilities. Or, another test may be used that is at a lower grade level than the assessments used for peers.

Far from – authority for the requirements to graduate are turned over to the IEP team. For example, the IEP team may decide the specific requirements that the students must meet, or the IEP team may just decide that a student can be exempt from the requirements held for students without disabilities.

Following the documentation of information from states' websites, we summarized what we found, including the source websites and documents (see Appendix A). An example of a completed form for one state is provided in Appendix B. After the information was compiled, each state director of special education was sent the form for his or her state to use for verification of our findings. The verification procedure took place from November, 2014 to January, 2015. Overall, 33 of the 51 states and District of Columbia responded to the verification requests, for a response rate of 64.7%.

During the verification process, we often received information about policies that we were not able to find on states' websites. In these and other cases, state personnel provided to us their understanding of the policy. We accepted only information that could be documented via written products or the states' websites.

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Results

Results are presented here by the four research questions.

Course Requirements to Earn a Regular Diploma for Students with Disabilities Compared to Their Peers Without Disabilities (Research Question 1)

Table 2 shows the comparison rating assigned to each state's course requirements for students with disabilities compared to their peers: Same, Close To, or Far From. The information collected from state websites on course requirements for students with disabilities and their peers is provided in Appendix C. Overall, with Close To and Far From both reflecting requirements that were different for students with disabilities compared to those of their peers, a total of 30 states had different requirements for students with disabilities compared to their peers without disabilities, and 21 states had exactly the same requirements. Of the states with different requirements, eight states had course requirements for students with disabilities that were judged to be Close To those for their peers and 22 had course requirements for students with disabilities that were Far From those for their peers.

Table 2. Comparison Rating of States' Course Requirements

* During verification, the state indicated that its course requirements were the same for students with disabilities as for students without disabilities.

The 21 states in which the course requirements were the same for students with disabilities as for their peers without disabilities clearly confirmed this expectation, as shown in the following examples:

Mississippi: Students who began 9th grade in 2003-2004 and each year thereafter must pass all required Subject Area Tests in U.S. History, English II, Biology I, and Algebra I. (Mississippi Department of Education, 2012, Code 3803)

Oklahoma: The Achieving Classroom Excellence (ACE) law states that: Beginning with students entering the ninth grade in the 2008-2009 school year, every student shall demonstrate mastery of the state academic content standards in the following subject areas in order to graduate from a public high school with a standard diploma….
Once your child has completed coursework in the above listed subjects, an EOI is administered…. (Oklahoma State Department of Education, 2013)

Oregon: Districts may award credit for proficiency as an option described by the OAR below, adopted by the State Board of Education January 23, 2003. Credit Options (581-022-1131)
(1) A school district shall grant credit for work satisfactorily completed in any district school, including an alternative education program as defined in ORS 336.615 and ORS 336.625, provided the method for accruing credit is described in the student's personal education plan and the student either:
(a) Successfully completes classroom or equivalent work (e.g., required and elective courses, supervised independent study, career-related learning experiences, project based learning) in a course of at least 130 clock hours in accordance with OAR 581-022-0102;
(b) Successfully completes a unit of credit where performance-based criteria acceptable to the school district are identified; or
(c) Demonstrates competency or mastery of subject as defined by the school district by any one or more of the following as approved by the district:

(A) Successfully passes an appropriate exam;
(B) Provides sample of work or other evidence which demonstrates equivalent knowledge or skill; and
(C) Provides documentation of prior learning activities or experiences (e.g., certification of training, letters, diplomas, awards, etc.) or;

(d) Successfully completes a combination of the requirements set out in subsections (1) (a-c) of this section." (Oregon State Board of Education, 2012, p.1)

Course Requirements When Different for Students with Disabilities Compared to Their Peers without Disabilities (Research Question 2)

We examined the nature of the course requirements in those states that had different course requirements for students with disabilities compared to their peers without disabilities. We report the nature of these differences here by examining first those states that had course requirements that were Close To and then those states that had course requirements that were Far From for students with disabilities compared to their peers without disabilities.

Close To. Table 3 shows the Close To states and the nature of their approaches to course requirements. The states with course requirements for students with disabilities that were close to those for the course requirements held for their peers most often involved the state defining the alternative courses or the ways in which courses could be adjusted for students with disabilities (N=5). Less often, the student's district defined the coursework criteria (N=3).

Table 3. Course Requirements for Students with Disabilities in States Where Requirements Were Rated as Close To Those for Their Peers

Examples of the requirements for students with disabilities in states that indicated the state defined the alternative coursework include the following:

Alabama: Students with disabilities have specific alternative courses that can be taken to meet the course requirements (e.g., English Essential 9, 10, 11, 12 or AAS English 9, 10, 11, 12 for English 9, 10, 11, 12; Algebraic Essentials A & B and Geometry Essentials A & B or AAS Mathematics 9, 10, 11, 12 for Algebra, Geometry, and Algebra II with Trig or Alg II or equivalent). (Alabama State Department of Education, n.d.)

Georgia: Students with Disabilities who earn credit in Mathematics I or GPS Algebra and the associated mathematics support course, and mathematics II or GPS Geometry and the associated mathematics support course, may upon determination through the Individualized Education Program Team meet mathematics diploma requirements by completing Mathematics III or GPS Advanced Algebra for a total of 3 mathematics core credits. Successful completion of 3 core units of mathematics may not meet the mathematics admission requirements for entrance into a University System or Georgia Institution or other post-secondary institution without additional coursework. (Georgia Department of Education, 2011, p. 4)

An example of the requirements for students with disabilities in states that indicated that the district could define the alternative coursework is the following:

New Jersey: Through the IEP process and pursuant to N.J.A.C. 6A:14-4.11, district boards of education may specify alternate requirements for a State-endorsed diploma for individual students with disabilities as defined in N.J.A.C. 6A:14-1.3. (New Jersey Department of Education, n.d., p. 34)

Far From. Table 4 shows the Far From states and the nature of their course requirements. Although completion of IEP requirements was most frequent in these states, six of them included language or guidance about the rigor of the IEP-defined requirements. In contrast, 14 states simply required the completion of IEP requirements without language or guidance about the rigor of the IEP-defined requirements. Three states indicated that the IEP could allow for the student to be exempted from the course requirements to receive a regular diploma.

Table 4. Course Requirements for Students with Disabilities in States Where Requirements Were Rated as Far From Those for Their Peers

¹ Nevada, although in the Complete Requirements of IEP (Without Rigor) column, did cite other state and district investigations addressing rigor of IEP decisions about placement and credit decisions. Nevertheless, it does not have guidance or language about rigor.

Examples of statements about requirements for students with disabilities in states that indicated that the IEP determined the requirements to be completed, with guidance about rigor, include the following:

Connecticut: Students with a mild or moderate learning disability, who receive the additional support of an Individual Education Plan (IEP), are expected to meet the graduation requirements as stated in this plan. The Planning and Placement Team (PPT) must work closely with the mentor/advisor of the Student Success Plan for each special education student to ensure that every student meets the middle and high school expectations described. There may be some modifications in the curriculum or in the assessment environment for this student, but the basic expectations are the same as for non-special education students. (Connecticut Department of Education, n.d., p. 4)

New Mexico: Departures from the standard program of study for students receiving special education services and supports shall be considered in the order of the options listed in Subparagraph (b) of Paragraph (13) of Subsection J of 6.29.1.9 NMAC. [These options, which must be submitted in a prior written notice of proposed action, include: standard program of study; and a career readiness alternative program of study; plus an option for student in the AA-AAS.] Any modified program of study may depart from a standard program of study only so far as is necessary to meet an individual student's educational needs as determined by the IEP Team. Districts and charter schools are obligated to meet the requirements IDEA to provide students with IEPs on any one of the three programs of study, and access to the general curriculum in the least restrictive environment. When an alternative program of study is developed, a building administrator or designee who has knowledge about the student shall be a member of the IEP team. (New Mexico Public Education Department, 2014, p. 22)

Examples of statements about requirements for students with disabilities in states that indicated that the IEP determined the requirements to be completed, without guidance about rigor, include the following:

Arkansas: For a student with disabilities, fulfillment of the requirements set forth in the student's IEP constitutes the basis for graduation from high school. (Arkansas Department of Education, 2009, p. 20)

Minnesota: For some students, the IEP team may decide that attainment of individualized objectives is a more appropriate determining factor, with respect to receipt of a high school diploma, than is attainment of required examinations or other requirements. The IEP team, because of its unique knowledge of and work with the student, is best suited to make this determination. The student's parent must consent to the proposed change of placement prior to exiting the student. (Minnesota Department of Education, n.d.)

Nebraska: Consider graduation requirements and IEP annual goals: Neither Rule 51 nor IDEA includes a requirement that an IEP contain specifically identified graduation criteria or a graduation plan; however, it is recognized that many districts document the graduation requirements in the student's IEP. Deciding to document discussions about the student's graduation plans either in the IEP or in IEP meeting notes may assist the IEP Team with documenting meaningful opportunities the parent was offered during the development, review, or revision of their child's IEP. State law—not the IDEA—dictates the substantive standards for graduation. 92 NAC Rule 10-003.05 provides graduation requirements for each NE high school from grades nine through twelve. Additionally, Neb. Rev. Stat. §79-729 states that the graduation requirements prescribed in the statute do not apply to high school students whose individualized education plans prescribe a different course of instruction. Therefore, the IEP Team is responsible for determining the student's course of instruction; considering the district's graduation requirements and the student's progress on meeting annual goals. (Nebraska Department of Education, n.d.)

An example of a statement about requirements for students with disabilities in states that indicated that the IEP could allow for exemption from course requirements to earn a regular diploma includes the following:

Ohio: The consent should also acknowledge that 1) one consequence of not completing the Ohio core curriculum is ineligibility to enroll in most state universities without further coursework and 2) the student must complete the alternative curriculum established by the school that includes at a minimum the curriculum required in ORC §3313.603(B). …Students who earn a high school diploma under the Opt-Out provision will be prohibited from attending most state universities in Ohio without further coursework. … The Opt-Out was designed to be temporary and yet provide some students with a period of transition to the more rigorous curriculum requirements of the Ohio core. Some students may not feel adequately prepared for the more rigorous requirements; specifically four units of mathematics that must include Algebra II or its equivalent and a unit of advanced science in addition to a unit of physical science and a unit of life science. Other students may feel that their career or college goals might not require the more rigorous curriculum of the Ohio core. …Four cohorts of entering ninth graders will be eligible to pursue the Opt-Out provision. Unless the provision is extended by legislative action, it will end with students who enter ninth grade for the first time on or after July 1, 2014. (Ohio Department of Education, 2012, pp. 1-2)

Assessment Requirements to Earn a Regular Diploma for Students with Disabilities Compared to Their Peers Without Disabilities (Research Question 3)

Not all states require that students take an exit assessment to receive a regular diploma. Table 5 shows those states with an assessment requirement for graduation with a regular diploma from high school.

Table 5. States with Exit Assessment Requirements for a Regular Diploma in 2014-15

Note: Some states that had exit exams in the past no longer were using them for 2014-15. For example, the exit exam was eliminated as a graduation requirement to receive a South Carolina High School Diploma beginning with the graduating class of 2015 (South Carolina Department of Education, n.d., p. 1).

Table 6 shows the comparison rating assigned to each state's exit assessment requirements for students with disabilities compared to their peers: Same, Close To, or Far From. The information collected for exit assessment requirements for students with disabilities and their peers is provided in Appendix D. Overall, with Close To and Far From both reflecting assessment requirements that were different for students with disabilities compared to those of their peers, a total of 19 states had different exit assessment requirements for students with disabilities compared to their peers without disabilities, and 8 states had exactly the same requirements. Of the states with different requirements, 10 had exit assessment requirements for students with disabilities that were judged to be Close To those for their peers, and 9 states had exit assessment requirements for students with disabilities that were Far From those for their peers.

Table 6. Comparison Rating of States' Exit Assessment Requirements

Note: Shaded states do not have exit assessment requirements.

* During verification, the states indicated that its exit assessment requirements were the same for students with disabilities as for students without disabilities.

The eight states in which the exit assessment requirements were the same for students with disabilities as for their peers without disabilities clearly confirmed this expectation, as shown in the following examples:

Hawaii: The High School Diploma shall be issued to students who have met all graduation requirements by demonstrating proficiency in the Hawaii Content and Performance Standards and General Learner Outcomes in the required courses. (Hawaii Department of Education, n.d., p. 5)

Maryland: …and he or she must take and pass the Maryland High School Assessments as appropriate to the date of entry into grade 9 or satisfy the HSA graduation requirement by achieving the required combined score or successfully complete the Bridge Plan for Academic Validation (see section on High School Assessments). (Maryland Department of Education, 2013, p. 2)

Nevada: In addition to earning 22.5 credits students, must pass the Nevada High School Proficiency Exam (HSPE) in reading, math, and writing. Beginning with the class of 2010, students must also pass the HSPE in science. (Nevada Department of Education, n.d., p. 1)

Exit Assessment Requirements When Different for Students with Disabilities Compared to Their Peers without Disabilities (Research Question 4)

We examined the nature of the exit assessment requirements in those states that had different exit assessment requirements for students with disabilities compared to their peers without disabilities. We report the nature of these differences here by examining first those states that had exit assessment requirements that were Close To and then those states that had exit assessment requirements that were Far From for students with disabilities compared to their peers without disabilities.

Close To. Table 7 shows the Close To states and the nature of their approaches to exit assessment requirements. The most common approaches that states used are included in this table: Other Assessment, Meet Local Criteria, and Waiver.

Table 7. Exit Assessment Requirements for Students with Disabilities in States (N = 10) Where Requirements Were Rates as Close To Those for Their Peers

The states with exit assessment requirements for students with disabilities that were close to those for the exit assessment requirements held for their peers most often involved requiring that the student participate in a different assessment (N=8). In only one state each did the state allow for the student to meet local criteria or for the student to have a waiver from the exit assessment requirement.

Examples of the requirements for students with disabilities in states that indicated another assessment could be used to meet the requirement to earn a regular diploma are the following:

Connecticut: If a student has been identified as having serious learning or other disabilities that significantly impact the student's ability to meet standard graduation expectations, as indicated in the IEP, then he or she may receive specific…assessments required for graduation. For example, the goal score on the Modified CAPT Assessment is the requirement parallel to the student's making goal on the standard CAPT. (Connecticut Department of Education, n.d., pp. 4-5)

Tennessee: Students with disabilities must participate in the state End of Course (EOC) assessment. These students must receive appropriate support and accommodations with the goal of mastering course content and passing the EOC assessment. However, a student on an active IEP whose disability interferes with performance on the EOC assessment may demonstrate mastery of core knowledge and skills for that course through the approved alternative performance based assessment. (Tennessee Department of Education, n.d.)

Idaho referred to a local process for those students who did not attain a proficient score on the state assessment:

Idaho: A student who does not attain at least a proficient score prior to graduation may appeal to the school district or LEA, and will be given an opportunity to demonstrate proficiency of the content standards through some other locally established plan. School districts or LEAs shall adopt an alternate plan and provide notice of that plan to all students who have not achieved a proficient or advanced score on the Grade 10 Idaho Standards Achievement Test by the fall semester of the student's junior year. All locally established alternate plans used to demonstrate proficiency shall be forwarded to the State Board of Education for review and information….Before entering an alternate measure, the student must be: 1. Enrolled in a special education program and have an Individual Education plan (IEP)…. (Idaho Department of Education, 2014, p. 13)

Georgia's Disability Waiver was considered to be Close To because it focuses on a section of the assessment and because specific documentation is required to have the Waiver approved:

Georgia: Disability Waiver is defined in rule as a student disability that is directly related to his or her ability to pass a particular section of the high school graduation assessment….The written recommendation must be supported by documentation that lists the skills and knowledge set forth in the GPS [Georgia Performance Standards] and how the student has demonstrated equivalent mastery of these skills and standards through specific class work and performance on other academic achievement assessments…. (Georgia Department of Education, 2010, p. 7)

Far From. Table 8 shows the Far From states and the nature of their approaches to exit assessment requirements. The most common approaches that states used are included in this table: Meet IEP Criteria (N = 4) and Exemption (N = 5).

Table 8. Exit Assessment Requirements for Students with Disabilities in States (N = 10) Where Requirements Were Rated as Far From Those for Their Peers

¹ State allowed either Meet IEP Criteria or Exemption, but was entered into the farther away column of Exemption.

Examples of the statements about exit assessment requirements in states that indicated a student could meet IEP-defined criteria were the following:

Arizona: The IEP team can identify the expectation for AIMS and graduation. As an example, the IEP may indicate that to graduate with a high school diploma, the student must: ….Participate in AIMS, but not be required to pass in order to meet graduation requirements (this is presumed if the IEP is silent about the passing of the tests)…. (Arizona Department of Education, 2013, p. 5)

Pennsylvania: ….children with disabilities who take the PSSA or the local test, but who cannot perform at the proficient level or better due to their disabilities, can still graduate and receive a regular high school diploma if they have met their IEP goals. (Pennsylvania Department of Education, 2013, p. 39)

Examples of the statements about exit assessment requirements in states that indicated a student could be exempted from the exit assessment requirements were the following:

Florida: Students with disabilities who are working toward a standard high school diploma are expected to participate in the FCAT 2.0 and Florida EOC Assessments; however, legislation provides for a waiver of the FCAT 2.0 or Algebra 1 EOC Assessment as a requirement for graduating with a standard high school diploma for students with disabilities whose abilities cannot be accurately measured by the statewide assessments. (Florida Department of Education, 2014, p. 2)

Ohio: Four cohorts of entering ninth graders will be eligible to pursue the Opt-Out provision. Unless the provision is extended by legislative action, it will end with students who enter ninth grade for the first time on or after July 1, 2014. (Ohio Department of Education, 2012)

Texas: A student can also graduate and receive a regular high school diploma under the minimum high school program outlined in TAC Chapter 74, upon completing the minimum curriculum and credit requirements for students in general education and participating in required assessments. For these students the ARD committee must determine whether passing the assessment is a requirement for graduation. (Texas Education Agency, 2010, p. 1)

In those states that had the same exit assessment requirements for students with disabilities and their peers (N=8), five of them (Hawaii, Indiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, North Carolina) also had the same course requirements for students with disabilities and their peers.

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Discussion

This investigation of the 2014-15 graduation requirements for students with disabilities who participate in states' general assessments confirmed previous studies that have shown considerable variability in states' approaches. This is the case for both course requirements for graduation, and in those states that have them, exit assessments for graduation. We found that in terms of course requirements, the majority of states (N=30) had different, less rigorous, requirements for students with disabilities compared to the requirements for their peers. Further, most of these states had requirements identified by us as being "far from" the course requirements for their peers (N=22). Less than half of the states and DC (N=21) had the same course requirements for students with disabilities and their peers.

In the 27 states that had exit assessment requirements for graduation, most (N=19) had different, less rigorous, requirements for students with disabilities compared to the requirements for their peers. Ten states had requirements that we identified as being "close to" and nine states had requirements that we identified as being "far from" the exit assessment requirements for students without disabilities.

Overall, only five of the 27 states with both course and assessment requirements (Hawaii, Indiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, North Carolina) had the same requirements for students with and without disabilities, and only nine of the 22 states with course requirements only (Alaska, Colorado, Delaware, District of Columbia, Kansas, Rhode Island, South Carolina, West Virginia, Wyoming) had the same requirements for students with and without disabilities. Thus, of the 51 states (which includes DC), 14 states had the same requirements for students with disabilities and students without disabilities to graduate from high school with a regular diploma.

There is clear evidence that the graduation rates of students with disabilities continues to lag behind the rates for their peers. This has been documented using the OSEP Leaver Rate (Cortiella, 2013), the NCES average freshman graduation rate–AFGR (Stillwell, Sable, & Plotts, 2011) and the Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate–ACGR (Cortiella, 2013; DePaoli, Fox, Ingram, Maushard, Bridgeland, & Balfanz, 2015). At the same time, the push for college and career readiness in students who leave high school with a regular diploma is resulting in increased requirements for graduation for most students (Achieve, 2014, 2015), and more recently a recommendation for the same for students with disabilities (see Thurlow & Johnson, 2013) so that the diplomas they earned are just as meaningful as those earned by their peers. Ensuring appropriate access to instruction and assessments is an essential part of having the same rigorous requirements for students with disabilities as for other students (Thurlow & Johnson, 2013). The information reported here does not address the extent to which this access is provided nor whether states with different requirements differ in the access to instruction and assessments that is provided to students with disabilities.

Continued attention needs to be given to the graduation requirements for students with disabilities. This is perhaps more important now than ever before because of the need for students with disabilities to have the college and career readiness skills to be successful after leaving high school with their diplomas.

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References

Alabama State Department of Education. (n.d.). Alabama high school diploma substitute courses for students with disabilities.
Retrieved from: http://alex.state.al.us/ccrs/sites/alex.state.al.us.ccrs/files/Substitute%20Courses
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Appendix A

State Resources on Graduation Requirements

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Appendix B

Alabama Graduation Requirements for Students Earning a Regular Diploma

Please verify that the following answers we found for your state are correct. If edits are needed, please do so and add a link to documentation. Thank you!

1. Name(s) of regular diplomas:

Alabama High School Diploma
Alabama High School Diploma with Advanced Academic Endorsement (First Choice)

2. Are Course Requirements the same for students with disabilities as for other students?

No, Students with disabilities have specific alternative courses that can be taken to meet
the course requirements (e.g., English Essential 9, 10, 11, 12 or AAS English 9, 10, 11, 12 for
English 9, 10, 11, 12; Algebraic Essentials A & B and Geometry Essentials A & B or AAS
Mathematics 9, 10, 11, 12 for Algebra I, Geometry, and Algebra II with Trig or Alg II or
equivalent))

3. Does your state have test requirements to earn a regular diploma?

No

4. Are exam requirements the same for students with disabilities as for other students?

Not applicable

5. Does your state have an alternate route/appeals process?

No

If the correct answer to question 5 is YES and your state has test requirements to earn a regular diploma, please check Question 6 for accuracy.

6. Are the Same Alternative Ways/Appeals for Exams Available to Students With and Without Disabilities?

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Appendix C

State Course Requirements for Graduation with a Regular Diploma

Appendix C is available separately from this report.

Appendix D

State Exit Assessments Requirements for Graduation with a Regular Diploma

Appendix D is available separately from this report.

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