In California, the three options for students with an IEP are: a diploma, an alternate pathway to a diploma, and a certificate of completion.
In order for a student to receive a high school diploma, they must meet state educational requirements. These include completing “the prescribed course of study,” which refers to a list of 13 courses California requires for a student to receive a diploma.
These courses are:
- three English courses
- two math courses (including Algebra I)
- three social science courses (U.S. history and geography, world history, culture and geography, and one semester of both American government and economics)
- two science courses (biological and physical)
- two physical education courses
- one foreign language or visual and performing arts or technical education course.
School districts must confirm that students finish the prescribed course of study before awarding diplomas, and they may also add to these requirements.
In order for your child with an IEP to be eligible for a high school diploma, the IEP team needs to put together a plan near the end of 8th grade or the beginning of 9th grade. While the student’s work can include accommodations and remain on a diploma track, modifications to coursework will remove eligibility to earn a standard diploma. Sometimes teams inadvertently use the words accommodation and modification interchangeably, and it’s important to know the difference when planning your student’s high school coursework.
Accommodations can include doing enough work to show mastery without having to do the full amount of the work, or extra time on tests and homework.
Modifications would be that the student does work that is aligned with the coursework while making changes in what the student is expected to learn. Some modifications can include different books, pass/no pass grading options, reworded tests written in simpler language, etc.
Once a student graduates with a diploma, they leave the school and the special education system. They can then go on to community college, a 4-year university, trade school, work, or some other path.
We can help you figure out whether your student is eligible for a diploma, and how to help them get there.
For help at your child’s next IEP meeting, more information about our special education advocacy services, or for a FREE 20-minute consultation to see if we are a good fit for you, call or email today!
As parents, we understand. As advocates, we can help.