secondary transition services and graduation with a high school diploma transition... · graduation...
TRANSCRIPT
Secondary Transition Services and Graduation with a High School Diploma
Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education
Graduation with a Regular High School Diploma* Under IDEA
• Endsastudent’seligibilityforspecialeducationandrelatedservices.• Achangeinplacement,subjecttoproceduralprotectionunderIndividualswithDisabilitiesEducationAct(IDEA).
*DoesnotincludeanalternativedegreesuchastheHiSETorGED
3
Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education
In Massachusetts: One Regular Diploma
1. CompetencyDeterminationStandard2. LocalGraduationRequirements
Ø Prerequisites only.Ø StateLawdoesnotsaythediplomamust beissued.
4
Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education
What Does IDEA Require?
• AFreeandAppropriatePublicEducation(FAPE)foralleligiblestudentswithdisabilities.
• UnderIDEA,evenifastudentwithdisabilitieshasmetstateandlocalrequirementsforgraduation,adistrictmaynotproperlygraduatethestudentifthedistrictdidnotprovideFAPEtothatstudent.
5
Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education
What Constitutes FAPE?
• Aneducationalprogramthatoffersthestudentthechancetomeetchallengingobjectivesand,inlightofthestudent’scircumstances,isappropriatelyambitiousandreasonablycalculatedtoenableastudenttomakeprogress.
Ø SeeESElegaladvisoryonEndrewF.v.DouglasCountySchoolDistrictRE-1,2017,http://www.doe.mass.edu/lawsregs/advisory/2017-0616ieps.html
Ø SeeU.S.DOE’sQuestionsandAnswers(Q&A)onU.S.SupremeCourtCaseDecisionEndrewF.v.DouglasCountySchoolDistrictRe-1,https://www2.ed.gov/policy/speced/guid/idea/memosdcltrs/qa-endrewcase-12-07-2017.pdf
6
Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education
Is There a Guarantee?
• TheFAPErequirementappliestosecondarytransitionservices,aswellasotherspecialeducationandrelatedservices.
• AnIEPisnot aguaranteeofaspecificeducationalorfunctionalresultforastudentwithadisability.
• However,IDEAdoesprovideforrevisitingtheIEPiftheprogresstheIEPTeamexpectsisnotoccurring.
7
Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education
Secondary Transition Services – Age 14 Onward
• Coordinated setofactivitiesdesignedtobewithinaresults-orientedprocess,thatisfocusedonimprovingtheacademicandfunctionalachievementofthechildwithadisabilitytofacilitatethechild’smovementfromschooltopost-schoolactivities.• Basedonthestudent’sneeds,strengths,preferences,andinterests.
-- 34CFR300.43• Seewww.doe.mass.edu/sped/secondary-transition/default.html
8
Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education
To Decrease the Number of Disputes…
• AttheannualIEPmeetingstartingnolaterthanage14andeachyearthereafter,theTeamshouldexplicitly discussanddocument:o thestudent’scurrentprogresstowardmeetinggoals;o neededannualgoalsandobjectivesalignedwiththestudent’spostsecondarygoals(a.k.a.visionforadultlife);
o thesecondarytransitionservicestobedeliveredduringtheupcomingyear;
o thespecificanticipatedyearofgraduation.
9
Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education
Most Students
ThegreatmajorityofstudentswithIEPswillgraduatewithahighschooldiplomaontheanticipateddate,andbecauseofpreviousannualdiscussions,thestudent’sgraduationwillbeasurprisetonoone.
10
Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education
Some Students
• Inrarecircumstances,theIEPTeammaydeterminethattheprovisionofFAPErequiresthatthestudentcontinuetoreceiveadditionaltransitionservicesand/orotherspecialeducationservices,eventhoughthestudenthasearnedtheCDandcompletedalllocalgraduationrequirements.
• TheTeamwillthenspecifyontheIEPtheneededservicesandrevisethedateforthestudent’sgraduationwithahighschooldiploma.
11
Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education
A Few Students
Althoughaparentorastudentwithdecision-makingauthoritymaynotunilaterally“refuse”adiploma,theymaydisagreewithandrejectthefinalIEPonthebasisthatthestudentdidnotreceiveFAPE.
Disputeresolutionproceduresthenapply.
12
Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education
Dispute Resolution Procedures
• Schooldistrictsmustfollowstay-putproceduresbyretainingthestudentinthecurrentplacementduringthependencyofthedisputerelatingtothestudent’sspecialeducationprogram,unlesstheschooldistrictandtheparentorstudentwithdecision-makingauthoritymutuallyagreeonanotherplacement.
• Thefamilyanddistricthaveopportunitiestosettlethedisputeataresolutionsessionorthroughmediation.
• Ifthepartiescannotresolvetheirdisagreement,thedisputewillbeheardanddecidedbytheBureauofSpecialEducationAppeals(BSEA).
-- 603CMR28.08
13
Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education
Graduation Ceremonies
• Whenastudentwillnotgraduatewiththeirpeers,whetherbecauseofapendingFAPEdisputeoragreementbytheTeamtoextendthestudent’sgraduationdate,thestudentmaywishtoparticipateingraduationceremonies.TheDepartmentencouragesdistrictstoallowsuchrequests.• ForthosestudentswhomeettherequirementsofG.L.c.71B,Section16,districtsmust allowsuchparticipation.
14
Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education
Contact Information
• AmandaGreen,SecondaryTransitionCoordinator• PhoneNumber:781-338-3368• EmailAddress:[email protected]• OfficeofSpecialEducationPlanning&PolicyDevelopment• Address:MassachusettsDepartmentofElementaryandSecondaryEducation,75PleasantStreet,Malden,MA02148
15