The District’s obligation to make FAPE available to all students with disabilities does not apply to students with disabilities who have graduated from high school with a regular high school diploma. Graduation from high school with a regular high school diploma constitutes a change of placement, requiring Prior Written Notice, and requires compliance with the Summary of Performance procedures. See [PRIOR WRITTEN NOTICE] and [SUMMARY OF PERFORMANCE]. An eligible student who is receiving special education services who is 21 years of age on September 1 of a school year will be eligible for services through the end of that school year or until graduation with a regular high school diploma, whichever comes first.
Campus Personnel must develop and implement a personal graduation plan for each student in junior high or middle school who has not performed satisfactorily on the STAAR or who is unlikely to receive a high school diploma before the fifth school year following the student’s enrollment in the ninth grade. The personal graduation plan must:
Identify educational goals for the student;
Include diagnostic information, appropriate monitoring and intervention, and other evaluation strategies;
Include an intensive program of instruction;
Address participation by the student’s parent or guardian, including consideration of educational expectations for the student; and
Provide innovative methods to promote the student’s advancement, such as flexible scheduling, alternative learning environments, online instruction, and other interventions scientifically proven to improve learning and cognitive ability.
For students with disabilities who receive special education services through an IEP, the IEP may serve as the Personal Graduation Plan.
Every high school student in the District must have a personal graduation plan. District Administration must publish in English and Spanish on the District website the information provided by TEA that explains the benefits of choosing a high school graduation plan that includes the distinguished level of achievement under the Foundation High School Program and includes one or more endorsements to enable the student to achieve a class rank in the top 10 percent of students at the campus and encourages parents, to the greatest extent practicable, to have the student choose these options. This information must be available to all high school students and their parents in the language in which the parents are most proficient only if at least 20 students in a grade level speak that language.
Each high school principal must choose a school counselor or school administrator to discuss personal graduation plan options with each student entering ninth grade, along with the student’s parent. This plan must be confirmed and signed by both the student and the student’s parent before the end of the student’s ninth grade school year.
A personal graduation plan for a student in high school must identify a course of study that promotes college and workforce readiness and career placement and advancement. The personal graduation plan must also help the student transition from secondary to postsecondary education, where applicable. Campus Personnel cannot prevent the student and the student’s parent or guardian from choosing a distinguished level of achievement or an endorsement.
The personal graduation plan can be amended by the student as the student progresses through high school, but Campus Personnel must send written notice to the student’s parent regarding the change.
A summary of performance (“SOP”) generally refers to a summary of the student’s academic achievement and functional performance, which includes recommendations on how to assist the student with a disability in meeting the student’s postsecondary goals. An SOP is required for the student whose eligibility under special education terminates due to graduation from secondary school with a regular high school diploma or due to exceeding the age of eligibility for FAPE.
The SOP must consider the views of the parent, the views of the student, and written recommendations for adult service agencies (such as the Department of Assistive and Rehabilitative Services) on how to assist the student in meeting postsecondary goals. An evaluation must be included as part of the SOP for students graduating based on :
Completion of the credit requirements for graduation under the Foundation High School Program or the Minimum High School Program through courses, one or more of which contain modified curriculum;
Satisfactory performance on required state assessments, unless the ARD Committee has determined that satisfactory performance on the assessments is not necessary for graduation; and
Completion of the individualized education program. See [EVALUATION PROCEDURES] and [REVIEW OF EXISTING EVALUATION DATA].
A special education student without modified curriculum who entered 9th grade in the 2014-2015 school year or later may graduate and be awarded a regular high school diploma if the student:
Demonstrates mastery of the required state standards or District standards, if they are greater;
Satisfactorily completes the credit requirements for graduation under the Foundation High School Program; and
Achieves satisfactory performance on the required state assessments, unless the student’s ARD Committee has determined that satisfactory performance on the required state assessments is not necessary for graduation. See [ADMISSION, REVIEW AND DISMISSAL COMMITTEE] and [STATE AND DISTRICTWIDE ASSESSMENTS].
A special education student entering the 9th grade in the 2014-15 school year or later whose curriculum is modified may graduate and be awarded a regular high school diploma if the student:
Demonstrates mastery of the required state standards or District standards if they are greater;
Satisfactorily completes the credit requirements for graduation under the Foundation High School Program through courses, one or more of which contain modified curriculum that is aligned to the standards applicable to general education;
Achieves satisfactory performance on the required state assessments, unless the student’s ARD Committee has determined that satisfactory performance on the required state assessments is not necessary for graduation; and
Successfully completes the student’s IEP and meets one of the following conditions:
Has obtained full-time employment and mastered sufficient self-help skills to enable the student to maintain the employment without direct and ongoing educational support of the District;
Has demonstrated mastery of specific employability skills and self-help skills that do not require direct ongoing educational support of the District;
Be involved with an agency that can provide services that are no longer the responsibility of the District; or
No longer meets age eligibility requirements.
Special education students may earn an endorsement by successfully completing, with or without modification, the curriculum requirements for graduation under the Foundation High School Program, as well as the additional endorsement curriculum requirements, and successfully completing all curriculum requirements for that endorsement without modification of the curriculum or with modification of the curriculum, provided that the curriculum, as modified, is sufficiently rigorous as determined by the student’s ARD Committee.
The student’s ARD Committee will determine whether the student is required to achieve satisfactory performance on an end-of-course assessment to earn an endorsement on the student’s transcript.
A special education 11th or 12th grade student is eligible to receive an endorsement if the student has taken each of the required state assessments, but failed to achieve satisfactory performance on no more than two of the assessments, as long as the student meets the other endorsement requirements.
In order for a special education student to use a course to satisfy both a requirement under the Foundation High School Program and an endorsement requirement, the student must satisfactorily complete the course without any modified curriculum.
A special education student who is unable to complete two credits in the same language in a language-other-than-English (“LOTE”) due to the student’s disability, may substitute a combination of two credits from English language arts, mathematics, science, or social studies or two credits in career and technical education, technology applications, or other academic electives for the LOTE credit requirements if the ARD Committee determines that the student is unable to complete the LOTE credit requirements.
A student who, due to student’s disability or illness, is unable to participate in physical activity, may substitute one credit in English language arts, mathematics, science, social studies, a locally-designed course that meets the state criteria for substitution under state law, or one academic credit elective for the physical education credit requirement if the ARD Committee determines that the student is unable to participate in the physical activity.
A substitute credit for LOTE or physical education may not be used to satisfy any other graduation requirement.
Transition to the Foundation High School Program
A special education student who entered grade 9 before the 2014-2015 school year may graduate and be awarded a high school diploma under the Foundation High School Program, if the student’s ARD Committee determines that the program is appropriate for the student and the student satisfies the requirements of the program.
A special education student transitioning to the Foundation High School Program who meets the requirements for an endorsement may earn an endorsement.
A special education student transitioning to the Foundation High School Program during the student’s 11th or 12th grade year who has taken each of the required state assessments but failed to achieve satisfactory performance on no more than two assessments, may graduate if the student has satisfied all other applicable graduation requirements.
A special education student entering the 9th grade before the 2014-15 school year may graduate and be awarded a regular high school diploma if the student demonstrates mastery of the state standards (or District standards if they are greater), satisfactorily completes credit requirements for graduation under the recommended or distinguished achievement high school programs, and achieves satisfactory performance on the required state assessment.
An 11th or 12th grade special education student who has taken each of the required state assessments but failed to achieve satisfactory performance on no more than two of the assessments is eligible to graduate under the recommended or distinguished achievement high school program if the student meets all other applicable graduation requirements.
A special education student entering the 9th grade before the 2014-15 school year may also graduate and be awarded a regular high school diploma if the student demonstrates mastery of the state standards (or District standards if they are greater), satisfactorily completes credit requirements for graduation under the minimum high school program, and participates in or satisfactorily performs on the required state assessments, as determined by the ARD Committee.
A special education student entering the 9th grade before the 2014-15 school year may also graduate and be awarded a regular high school diploma if the student:
Demonstrates mastery of the state standards or District standards if they are greater through courses, one or more of which contain modified content that is aligned to the standards required under the minimum high school program;
Satisfactorily completes credit requirements under the minimum high school program; participates in or satisfactorily performs on the required state assessments, as determined by the ARD Committee; and
Successfully completes the IEP and meets one of the following conditions:
Has obtained full-time employment and mastered sufficient self-help skills to enable the student to maintain the employment without direct and ongoing educational support of the District;
Has demonstrated mastery of specific employability skills and self-help skills that do not require direct ongoing educational support of the District;
Be involved with an agency that can provide services that are no longer the responsibility of the District; or
No longer meets age eligibility requirements.
A special education student who meets the age requirement for eligibility for continued services—i.e. who has not reached age 21 on September 1 of a school year—will be eligible for services and may return to school after graduation as long as the student was awarded a diploma that meets the following conditions:
The student was required to successfully complete the student’s IEP; and
The student was required to:
Obtain full-time employment, based on the student’s abilities and local employment opportunities, in addition to mastering sufficient self-help skills to enable the student to maintain the employment without direct and ongoing educational support of the District;
Demonstrate mastery of specific employability skills and self-help skills that do not require direct and ongoing education support of the District; or
Have access to services that were not within the legal responsibility of public education or employment or educational options for which the student has been prepared by the academic program.
See [AGE RANGES FOR ELIGIBILITY]. The ARD Committee must determine student’s educational service needs upon the request of the student or parent to resume services.
Campus Administration must issue a certificate of attendance to a special education student who has completed four years of high school but has not yet completed the student’s IEP. Campus Administration must allow special education students receiving certificates of attendance to participate in a graduation ceremony with students receiving high school diplomas. A special education student may participate in only one graduation ceremony to receive a certificate of attendance. The student will then return to school to complete the IEP goals and objectives before receiving a diploma. A student receiving a certificate of attendance is not prevented from receiving a diploma if the student completes the student’s IEP.
Beginning with students enrolled in grade 12 during the 2021-22 school year, each student will complete and submit a free application for federal student aid (“FAFSA”) or a Texas application for state financial aid (“TAFSA”) before graduating from high school.
A student is not required to submit a FAFSA or TASFA if:
The student's parent submits a signed form indicating that the parent authorizes the student to decline to complete and submit the financial aid application;
The student signs and submits a form declining to complete and submit the financial aid application, if the student is 18 years of age or older or the student's disabilities of minority have been removed for general purposes; or
A school counselor authorizes the student to decline to complete and submit the financial aid application for good cause, as determined by the school counselor.
District Administration must adopt a form to be used for purposes of documenting a waiver to submit the FAFSA or TASFA, and the form must be approved by the Texas Education Agency and made available in English, Spanish, and any other language spoken by a majority of the students enrolled in a bilingual education or special language program in the District or campus. If a school counselor notifies District Administration that a student has complied with the financial aid application requirement for the purpose of determining whether the student meets high school graduation requirements, the school counselor may only indicate whether the student has complied and may not indicate the manner in which the student complied.
“Regular high school diploma” means the standard high school diploma awarded to the preponderance of students in Texas that is fully aligned with Texas standards, or a higher diploma, except that a regular high school diploma shall not be aligned to the alternate academic achievement standards described in section 1111(b)(1)(E) of the ESEA. A regular high school diploma does not include a recognized equivalent of a diploma, such as a general equivalency diploma, certificate of completion, certificate of attendance, or similar lesser credential.
“Employability and Self-Help Skills” are those skills that directly relate to the preparation of students for employment, including general skills necessary to obtain or retain employment.
“Modified curriculum” and “Modified content” refer to any reduction in the amount or complexity of the required Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills. Substitutions that are specifically authorized in statute or rule must not be considered modified curriculum or modified content.
The above graduation requirements are designed to ensure students finish high school with skills designed to meet their unique needs and prepare them for further education, employment, and/or independent living. Because graduation is a change of placement, the ARD Committee decides whether a student has met graduation requirements under the above framework.
In order for the ARD Committee to determine whether a student has met his/her graduation requirements, the following questions may be considered:
For a student graduating in accordance with his/her IEP by obtaining full-time employment and mastering sufficient self-help skills to enable the student to maintain the employment without direct and ongoing educational support, the ARD Committee may consider:
What is the student’s postsecondary goal in the areas of employment, education/training, and independent living (if applicable)?
What are the disability related needs of the student relative to their transition plan and their postsecondary goals for transition?
What courses, if any, has the student completed that have prepared them with the employment skills and/or self-help skills necessary to obtain or retain a job?
What jobs (paid or unpaid) has the student held during high school?
Is the student currently employed? If so, where and for how long?
Is the student successful in this job(s)? How do you know?
Did the student require any support from special education in order to obtain or retain the job?
If so, who will the student contact once they graduate from high school to access the same type of support to retain their job or obtain a new job?
If so, is the student already in contact with this person/agency?
For a student graduating in accordance with his/her IEP by demonstrating mastery of specific employability skills and self-help skills that do not require direct ongoing educational support, the ARD Committee may consider:
What is the student’s postsecondary goal in the areas of: employment, education/training, and independent living (if applicable)?
What are the disability related needs of the student relative to their transition plan and their postsecondary goals for transition?
What courses, if any, has the student completed that have prepared them with the employment skills and/or self-help skills necessary to obtain or retain a job?
What jobs (paid or unpaid) has the student held during high school?
Is the student currently employed? If so, where and for how long?
Is the student successful in this job(s)? How do you know?
Did the student require any support from special education in order to obtain or retain the job?
If so, who will the student contact once they graduate from high school to access the same type of support to retain their job or obtain a new job?
If so, is the student already in contact with this person/agency?
If the student has never held a job or been competitively employed, what courses has the student taken that have prepared them to obtain or retain a job (as identified in their postsecondary employment goal), including courses that have provided instruction for self-help skills that the student would need in order to be successful in that job (based on their individual disability-related needs in the PLAAFP)?
Was the student successful in these courses? How do you know (ex. IEP goal was created, and the student mastered the goal)?
For a student graduating in accordance with his/her IEP by being involved with an agency that can provide services that are no longer the responsibility of the District, the ARD Committee may consider:
What is the student’s postsecondary goal in the areas of: employment, education/training, and independent living (if applicable)?
What are the disability related needs of the student relative to their transition plan and their postsecondary goals for transition?
What courses, if any, has the student completed that have prepared them with the employment skills and/or self-help skills necessary to obtain or retain a job?
What jobs (paid or unpaid) has the student held during high school?
Is the student currently employed? If so, where and for how long?
Is the student successful in this job(s)? How do you know?
Did the student require any support from special education in order to obtain or retain the job?
If so, who will the student contact once they graduate from high school to access the same type of support to obtain or maintain a new job or support in a postsecondary education program?
If so, is the student already in contact and receiving services with this person/agency?
If not, what should be the next steps for the student to complete in order to access this support or service?
For a student who no longer meets age eligibility requirements, the ARD Committee may consider:
Is this student currently 22? If so, they will not be eligible for services through special education during the next school year.
Will this student turn 22 on or before September 1 of next year? If so, they will not be eligible for services through special education during the next school year.
When the ARD Committee determines that modifications to the curriculum are required, the ARD Committee must also ensure that the curriculum remains sufficiently rigorous for the student to retain eligibility for an endorsement.
In regard to state assessments, the ARD Committee will determine whether the state assessment or an alternate assessment is appropriate. The ARD Committee will also determine whether a student is required to achieve satisfactory performance on an end-of-course assessment instrument to earn an endorsement on the student’s transcript. See [STATE AND DISTRICTWIDE ASSESSMENTS].
A student dismissed from special education services must complete the requirements for high school graduation and perform satisfactorily on any remaining assessments taken after the student is dismissed from special education. Therefore, the ARD Committee should carefully consider whether the student is capable of completing the requirements and passing the statewide exit-level assessment before dismissing the student.
Students who have completed four years of high school, but have not completed the graduation plan in their IEP may be allowed to participate in a graduation ceremony with their peers and receive a certificate. Campus Special Education Personnel determine which students meet this requirement and will contact and notify the parent and the adult student that they have an opportunity to participate in the ceremony. Campus Special Education Personnel will tell the parent and adult student that the student may only participate in one graduation ceremony and if the student were to participate now, that when the student completes his/her IEP graduation plan, he/she will receive a diploma, but will not be allowed to participate in another ceremony.
Campus Special Education Personnel will be responsible for implementing a personal graduation plan for each student in junior high or middle school receiving special education services who has not performed satisfactorily on statewide assessments or who is unlikely to receive a high school diploma before the fifth school year following the student’s enrollment in the ninth grade.
The student’s ARD Committee is responsible for developing and making decisions related to the student’s personal graduation plan. The student’s IEP itself will include all of the required elements of the personal graduation plan for general education students and will be used as the personal graduation plan for special education students. The ARD Committee will discuss and review the personal graduation plan annually at the ARD meeting. The Campus Counselor will attend the ARD meeting to discuss and share information about the Foundation High School Program, courses of study, and endorsements.
The Campus Special Education Administrator will be responsible for reviewing the personal graduation plan options for each ninth -grade high school student receiving special education services, including the distinguished level of achievement option and endorsements. For a student with an IEP, the student’s ARD Committee will develop and make decisions related to the student’s personal graduation plan, with the input of the parent and the student and such information will be included in the student’s IEP in a separate section related to graduation. The ARD Committee will work together to identify a course of study that promotes college and workforce readiness, promotes career placement and advancement, and facilitates the student’s transition from secondary to post -secondary education.
The personal graduation plan will be discussed and reviewed at each annual ARD meeting, as well as upon request by the ARD Committee at any time, with the student’s input. Campus Special Education Personnel will provide Prior Written Notice to the parent or guardian when any change to the student’s personal graduation plan is made. The Campus Counselor will attend the ARD meeting to discuss and share information about the Foundation High School Program, courses of study, and endorsements.
When the SOP will be completed may vary depending on the student’s post-secondary goals, but must be completed no later than the final year of a student’s high school education. The SOP is critical as a student transitions from high school to higher education, training and/or employment. Students may share their SOP with colleges, adult agencies, vocational and rehabilitative centers, employers, and others. The SOP helps entities identify services and accommodations the student may require in the classroom, the workplace, or the community. In some instances, it may be most appropriate to wait until the spring of a student’s final year to provide an entity, agency, or employer the most updated information on the performance of the student.
The completion of the SOP may require the input of the student’s special education teacher, regular education teacher, school psychologist, and/or related service personnel. The SOP should include information about the student, including the most recent formal and informal assessment reports that document the student’s disability and provide information to assist in post-high school planning. The SOP should also provide information about the student’s performance in at least three areas: functional, academic, and cognitive. The SOP should identify, if applicable, the accommodations, modifications, assistive technology, or general areas of need that were essential in high school to assist the student in making progress and which are needed for the student to be successful in a post-high school environment.
high school environment. Campus Special Education Personnel will meet with the student and parent prior to the student’s annual ARD to explain and discuss the SOP and solicit the student and parent’s input. The student’s contribution to the SOP can help the student better understand the impact of his/her disability on academic and functional performance in the postsecondary setting. The SOP will then be completed at the student’s annual ARD or a review ARD that occurs no later than the final year of a student’s high school education. The student will be given a copy of the SOP at the student’s final annual or review ARD Committee meeting.
The District will maintain documentation requirements of compliance associated with Texas Student Data System (TSDS), Public Education Information Management System (PEIMS), and State Performance Plan (SPP). District staff will provide training, with follow up, to ensure the documentation required is in place and compliant. As part of this documentation, the Campus Administrator will ensure that the number and graduation type code for students with disabilities graduating based on ARD Committee decisions is accurately reported through the TSDS/PEIMS system.
FIE
ARD/IEP
Personal Graduation Plan
Summary of Performance
State and Districtwide Assessments
Prior Written Notice
Summary of Performance
Graduation ARD Document
Documentation for the state in TSDS, PEIMS, and SPP
The Legal Framework for the Child-Centered Special Education Process: Graduation - Region 18
Graduation Guidance - Texas Education Agency
State Graduation Requirements - Texas Education Agency
Graduation Guidance - Region 4
Secondary Transition Guidance - Texas Education Agency
Graduation Guidance - Region 4
Board Policy EHBAA; Board Policy EHBAB; Board Policy EHBAD; Board Policy EIF; 20 U.S.C. 1412(a)(1)(A); 34 CFR 300.101(a), 300.102(a)(3), 300.305(e)(1-3); Texas Education Code 28.0212, 28.02121, 28.022, 28.025, 28.0256, 39.023, 39.024, 39.0241, 39.025, 39.034, 39.302-39.304, 42.003(a), 74.1021, 74.1025(n), 74.12, 74.13; 19 TAC 89.1035, 89.1070, 89.1414(c)(5)(A), 101.3022(f), 101.3023; Texas Family Code Chapter 31; HB 3 Sec. 5.001(c)