High School Diplomas for Special Education Students

High School Diplomas for Special Education Students 6146.1 (R)

Meriden’s position is one of serving special education students in a positive and productive manner while also protecting the integrity of the Board’s graduation requirements. The guidelines listed below should be utilized by staff in dealing with this issue for special education students within or out of the district.

1. In-District Placements
2. Graduation requirements for special education students at Platt and Maloney High Schools shall be the same as those of the general school population.
3. Credits may be earned in regular or special classes, depending on recommendations of the student’s planning and placement team.
4. In cases where students are unable to meet course objectives, the planning and placement team will determine what constitutes completion of requirements after reviewing the regular course objectives.
5. This plan will be effective with the class of 1989.
6. Out-of-District Placements
7. While it is our legal educational obligation to develop individualized educational programs (IEPs) for placed-out students, it is not to be assumed that such a program or other educational recommendations set forth by planning and placement teams supersede established Board policy for graduation requirements. Simply stated, students must meet the requirements of the Board for graduation in order to be awarded a high school diploma.
8. When a high school student is placed out as a result of a decision made by a planning and placement team, our priority should be one of working closely with the institution in question to see that the IEP is developed and carried out in keeping with the needs of the student. The consideration of shaping the program with graduation requirements in mind should only be addressed if warranted by current educational circumstances. If and when it is educationally sound the address the student’s standing in terms of graduation requirements while continuing on a placed-out status, such a review is to be directly and closely overseen by our staff. In this instance, careful consideration should be given to possibly returning the student in question to either Maloney or Platt as a base for programming, recognizing that such a move would have to be carefully designed and well supported.
9. Should a circumstance develop where it appears as though a handicapped student might be denied a high school diploma because of what could be interpreted as prejudicial, discriminatory, or educationally arbitrary requirements, consideration could be given to pursuing a waiver from the Board. For example, our physical education requirement should not prevent a child with a physical disability from receiving a diploma if the student has met all other Board requirements. In this instance, an appropriate substitute would probably be considered towards meeting the graduation requirements.

Approved July 1, 1987

Amended December 6, 2016

Policy moved to Series 5000 effective 9-1-2020

Previous Policy Number:  6146.1 (R)

Previous Policy Number: HK6-R