ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT: GRADUATION   STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES

EIF (R)   The secondary program of a student receiving special education services shall terminate either with graduation or when the student no longer meets the age requirement for eligibility. A student receiving special education services who is younger than 22 years of age on September 1 of a scholastic year shall be eligible for services through the end of that scholastic year or until graduation, whichever comes first. Graduation constitutes a release from services and is a change in placement. Because graduation is a change of placement, an admission, review and dismissal (ARD/IEP) committee must make the decision. A student may be graduated through one of the following: 1. Completed the minimum academic credit requirements applicable to students in regular education (with or without modifications), including satisfactory performance on the exit level assessment instrument. 2. A student receiving special education services may also graduate upon the ARD committee determining that the student has completed requirements specified in the individual educational plan (IEP), including minimum credit requirements, which have resulted in one of the following: a. Full-time employment based on the student’s abilities and local employment opportunities, in addition to sufficient self-help skill to enable the student to maintain the employment without direct and ongoing educational support of the district. b. Demonstrated mastery of specific employability skills and self-help skills which do not require direct ongoing educational support of the district. c. Access to services not within the legal responsibility of public education, or employment or educational options for which the student has been prepared by the academic program (e.g. access to post-secondary education, adult services or employment). d. Reached 22 years of age and completed IEP. 3. For students that graduate under any of the options found in (2) above, the ARD/IEP committee shall determine whether educational services will be resumed upon the request of the student or parent, as appropriate, so long as the student meets the age eligibility requirement. 4. More detailed information may be found in the Policies, Procedures and Operating Guidelines for Special Education (PPOG).

ISSUE DATE: 7/21/98