The USBE provides a list of alternative courses that may be considered for a student with significant cognitive disabilities working to receive an Alternate Diploma. An LEA may submit courses to the USBE to be considered for possible inclusion on the list of alternate courses. Utah's Alternate Diploma for students with the most significant cognitive disabilities are not counted in Indicator 1 graduat ion calculations. Utah had 83 students earn the Alternate Diploma in FFY 2020. The baseline data is reflective of the new form of measurement used for graduation determinations. It is different than the data outlined in the historical data which is based on the old measurement format. It is different than the data outlined in the historical data which is based on the old measurement format. Note that we indicate that the baseline graduation rate is 67.90% for FFY2018. However, the Data Table shows the FFY2018 graduation rate to be 69.97%. The reason for the discrepancy is that the USBE re-calculated the FFY2018 rate to be based on EdFacts File FS009 in order to use the same calculation methodology that is used for the FFY2020 graduation rate. During Utah's APR Summit, a review of baselines for Indicator 1 was conducted to determine if baselines should remain or be updated to correlate with changing targets. Consideration was given for the impacts of COVID- 19 and new measurement formats. Stakeholders reviewed historical data based on the new measurement method and projections for where the State would be in 2025 - 2026 if all things stayed the same. Choosing a baseline from a year prior to COVID-19 reflects Utah student abilities in a typical school year and was determined to be appropriate. Starting March 16, 2020, Utah schools were closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Without adequate time to prepare for all students to participate in distance learning, a lot of LEAs reported substantial numbers of students with whom they were unable to engage. The USBE advised LEAs that rather than strictly adhering to the continuing enrollment "10 day rule," (https://www.schools.utah.gov/File/1180ed7b-6998-4e12-b1f7-4a8600433183), whereby students with 10 consecutive unexcused absences should be dropped from active enrollment, they should keep students in enrollment and continue efforts to re- engage all students. Independent auditors' Agreed Upon Procedures (AUP) reports on the year -end student membership data included the footnote, 'Beginning March 16, 2020, the school implemented the state mandated soft closure of schools in respo nse to COVID-19; therefore, no procedures on continuing enrollment measurement have been performed after this date.' The impact of this change in practice o n data included lower than expected mobility and chronic absence rates (based on trend data), higher than expected attendance and average daily membership rates, and decreases in the numbers of students reported as dropout exiters during the period from March 16 through the end of the 2019 - 2020 school year. With fewer students reported as dropouts in the 2019 - 2020 exiter data, the Indicator 1 graduation rate may be slightly inflated and the Indicator 2 dropout rate may be slightly under-reported. LEAs developed their own strategies and practices regarding student credit completion toward graduation in response to school soft closures due to COVID-19 in the spring of 2020. The USBE released Graduation and Grading Guidance in April 2020 to help LEAs support students toward graduation (https://www.schools.utah.gov/file/e12b0d31-69e0-4f35-9b3c-7c2a7a1e4473). In the fall of 2020, the USBE formed a graduation workgroup advisory council to develop targeted guidance for LEAs to support student completion of graduation requirements. This guidance document is currently in the draft stage.

### 1 - Prior FFY Required Actions

None

### 1 - OSEP Response

The State has revised the baseline for this indicator, using data from FFY 2018, and OSEP accepts that revision. The State provided targets for FFYs 2020 through 2025 for this indicator, and OSEP accepts those targets.

### 1 - Required Actions