Full Transcript for Graduation Options for Students with Disabilities in Nebraska

Graduation Options for Students with Disabilities in Nebraska   Connie Shockley  0:02   Welcome to Talking special Needs, a PTI Nebraska podcast. Helping families of children with disabilities and healthcare needs to develop advocacy skills while learning about special education, healthcare systems, and other topics that affect families lives.   Sandy Peterson  0:26   Hi, this is Sandy Peterson. I'm the Young Adult Transition Coordinator at PTI Nebraska and today we're going to talk about graduation for young people who have disabilities in Nebraska. Our hope is that when you finish the podcast, you'll understand the options for graduation and understand that a receipt of a signed diploma means that services from your school district have ended. So let's get started.   There are three graduation considerations in Nebraska.   The first is that the student completes the standard course of study based upon meeting all of the requirements for graduation from their school district and completes their IEP goals. The course of study means the standard curriculum requirements and electives that the state and school district require.  And includes the courses related to the students post secondary goals in the transition plan goals and objectives and community activities. IEP goals include the annual academic and functional goals, as well as the transition plan and activities. The student would be eligible to receive a signed, regular diploma and participate in the regular graduation ceremonies with his or her peers. This is an IEP team decision.   The second consideration for graduation in Nebraska is the student completes the standard or modified course of study but not the IEP or transition plan goals. Course of Study means what we just reviewed, but not the IEP goals, which include annual academic and functional goals, for example, social skills, community activities, and so forth, as well as the transition plan and activities. For example, employability skills. Through social graduation, the student may participate in graduation ceremonies with his or her peers without receiving signed, regular diploma.  He or she may continue to receive services and supports from the school district until the IEP transition goals are met or until he or she completes the school year in which they turn 21.  At this time, the student would receive a signed regular diploma required by graduation and this is an IEP team decision as well.  As an example, a student who may fit this option could be a student who participated in all academically required classes and receive passing grades, possibly A's and B's. However, this young person still has IEP goals in the areas of, for example, social skills or executive functions, sensory skills, behaviors, that kind of thing that have not been met. Again, this highlights a productive and appropriate IEP.   And finally, consideration number three, student completes his or her IEP transition goals, but not the modified or standard course of study. This is another reason that the course of study is so very important and must be clarified. The IEP team must identify IEP transition goals for graduation that are consistent with the student's individual needs, and clearly state those courses that the student must accomplish, whether modified or standard. Upon completion of those goals, the student would be allowed to graduate with a signed regular diploma or remain in the 18 Plus program. A student may elect to participate in graduation ceremonies with his or her peer classmates upon completion of his or her courses study. This is also an IEP team decision.   So information about graduation, projected graduation, is when the student is expected to graduate. The IEP team needs to identify how the student's completion of coursework or participation in an alternate curriculum meets the requirements established by the School District's Board of Education for graduation and the diploma. Graduation should be addressed in all IEP transition meetings through the discussion of goals, futures planning and etc. and should be documented.  The course of study, goals, future plans and graduation are reviewed annually.   Several options are possible for an IEP team in prescribing the course of study and describing how the student will earn the diploma and graduate without meeting the general education requirements. And I'm going to give you two examples.   First example is that certain courses with corresponding credits are developed and offered for students with disabilities with the same basic content as the general education program, although there would be modifications in instruction materials, level of detail and so forth.   The second example would be an alternate curriculum totally which is offered that does not correspond to the general education courses and would focus on functional life skills, behavioral needs, self help skills, social skills development, functional academics, vocational training, and so forth.   It's important to know and understand that the receipt of a signed, regular diploma terminates the services and eligibility of students with special education needs in Nebraska. All diplomas awarded by a school district are to be identical in appearance, content and effect except that symbols or notations may be added to individual students diplomas to reflect official school honors or awards earned by students.   Diplomas are needed to attain the post secondary goals for example, jobs, education and so forth. Other documents for example, transcripts, MDT reports and IEPs may be needed to determine eligibility for post school education and training programs, accommodations and adult services.   The IEP team must review and document that all requirements IEP goals, transition post secondary goals, and curricular requirements for receipt of assigned regular high school diploma have been met.   A student who at graduation receives a document such as an unsigned diploma, and