Massachusetts – 2011-2012 – HB 1944/3932 – High School Graduation

Provides that a student with learning disabilities who fails to satisfy the requirements of the competency determination may nonetheless receive a  high school diploma if specified requirements are met. Any “School Age Child with a Disability,”  who fails to satisfy the requirements of the competency determination may nonetheless receive a  high school diploma if the following requirements are met:-

He has been measured by the assessment instruments, has pursued the appeals process, and has failed to achieve the required competency level in one or more subjects;

The superintendent of schools in the student’s district has certified to the commissioner that the student’s “Specific Learning Impairment” is the proximate cause of his failure to achieve the required competency levels and that there is no generally accepted remediation for such disability that would result in the student’s achieving the required competency levels;

The student has participated in and satisfactorily completed an educational proficiency plan, as defined by the department of elementary and secondary education, in all subjects in which he has failed to achieve the required competency levels;

The student has met all other requirements for graduation, both district and state, and has completed the goals of his Individualized Education Program (IEP) to the satisfaction of the IEP team, the student, and his parent or guardian; and

The student has received preliminary or final acceptance into any accredited 2, 3, or 4 year-long post-secondary educational program at a technical school, vocational school, college, or university.

Any diploma awarded pursuant to this section shall be known as a “standard” diploma but shall be considered evidence of high school graduation for all purposes, including but not limited to, post-secondary school admission, eligibility for state and federal post-secondary financial aid, and eligibility for employment.