Source: http://www.doe.mass.edu/sped/advisories/2018-2.html
Timestamp: 2019-04-22 14:55:43+00:00

Document:
Massachusetts state law does not explicitly address graduation requirements for students with Individualized Education Programs (IEPs). This has resulted in some confusion in determining when a student with an IEP is ready to graduate and, more specifically, whether and when a student may refuse a diploma in order to continue receiving transition and other special education services.
Best practices for schools, students, and parents1 in planning secondary transition services and student graduation and reducing the potential for disputes.
The FAPE requirement applies to secondary transition services, as well as other special education and related services.
Students who have reached the age of majority (18) and who have decision-making authority should be encouraged and allowed to take the lead in making their own decisions about their IEPs and transition plans, in discussion with other IEP Team members.17 Students can make informed recommendations and decisions as part of the IEP Team if they have been supported to develop strong self-determination skills,18 have participated in IEP meetings in meaningful ways over the years, and understand the secondary transition process and the purpose of each service they receive.
Because receipt of the high school diploma ends a student's eligibility for special education and related services, the parent or student with decision-making authority may invoke due process protections under IDEA by requesting a hearing or other dispute resolution procedures.20 The potential for disputes, however, is greatly reduced through effective transition planning and communication.
In the final year of high school, if the student has earned the CD, is on track to complete all local graduation requirements, and the school has provided the student's IEP services, including secondary transition services that meet the requirements of FAPE, the district should plan to issue a regular high school diploma consistent with the projected graduation date included in the current IEP. This projected date may be the same as the student's age peers, or it may be a later date consistent with the student's IEP.
Regardless of whether the student graduates with their peers, the great majority of students with IEPs will receive their high school diploma on the date identified in the IEP and, if previous annual discussions have occurred as outlined above, the student's graduation date will be known and fully anticipated.
In rare circumstances, the IEP Team may determine that the provision of FAPE requires that the student continue to receive additional transition services and/or other special education services, even though the student has earned the CD and completed all local graduation requirements. The Team will then specify on the IEP the needed services and revise the date for the student's graduation with a high school diploma.
A parent or student with decision-making authority may not unilaterally "refuse" a diploma for which all requirements have been met. They may, however, reject the final IEP on the basis that the student did not receive FAPE. If this occurs, the student and district have opportunities to resolve the disagreement through mediation or formal dispute resolution procedures under the IDEA. This includes filing a due process complaint and requesting a hearing with the Bureau of Special Education Appeals (BSEA).
During the pendency of such a dispute, school districts must follow stay-put procedures by retaining the student in the current program and placement unless the school district and the parent or student with decision-making authority agree otherwise.21 Situations such as these should be rare, however, if the district, student, and family have communicated effectively about the IEP, transition services, and the anticipated graduation date.
Secondary transition services are an essential component of the IEP for a student age 14 or older, and thus are a component of FAPE. These services assist students to move toward achieving their postsecondary goals. To reduce the potential for graduation disputes and increase the likelihood that students will be well prepared for life after high school, the Department encourages districts, students, and families to communicate fully and work collaboratively to ensure the planning and delivery of appropriate secondary transition services in a timely manner.
1 The word "parent" in this document is used as defined in 34 CFR §300.30.
2 IDEA regulations provide that the term "regular high school diploma does not include an alternative degree that is not fully aligned with the State's academic standards, such as a certificate or a general educational development credential (GED)." 34 CFR §300.102(a)(3)(iv).
6 Doe v. Marlborough Pub.Sch., 2010 WL 2682433 (D.Mass June 30, 2010.).
7 137 S.Ct. 988 (2017). In addition, see the Department's separate advisory on Endrew and the U.S. Department of Education's FAQs.
8 137 S.Ct. 988 (2017).
9 34 CFR 300.324(b)(1)(i)(A); also see Questions and Answers (Q&A) on U. S. Supreme Court Case Decision Endrew F. v. Douglas County School District Re-1, from the U.S. Department of Education, Page 7, Question #15.
10 M.G.L. c. 71B,§2; also see Technical Assistance Advisory SPED 2009-1: Transition Planning to Begin at Age 14.
13 See M.G.L. c. 71B, §2 and 34 CFR §300.321(b)(1).
14 In the Massachusetts Educator Evaluation Framework and 603 CMR 35.00, "cultural proficiency" for teachers is the ability to actively create and maintain an environment in which students' diverse backgrounds, identities, strengths, and challenges are respected. For administrators, to be culturally proficient means to ensure that that policies and practices enable staff members and students to contribute to and interact effectively in a culturally diverse environment in which students' backgrounds, identities, strengths, and challenges are respected.
15 See Technical Assistance Advisory SPED 2014-4: Transition Assessment in the Secondary Transition Planning Process.
16 A small number of students may continue to receive special education services until their 22nd birthday, rather than graduating. Those students will also require annual transition services in the domains of further education or training, employment, independent living, and community participation. This advisory, however, focuses on the larger subset of students with IEPs who earn the CD and complete local graduation requirements.
17 See Administrative Advisory SPED 2011-1: Age of Majority.
18 See Technical Assistance Advisory SPED 2016-2: Promoting Student Self-Determination to Improve Student Outcomes.
19 34 CFR ™300.102(a)(3)(iii) provides that "graduation from high school with a regular high school diploma constitutes a change in placement, requiring written prior notice in accordance with §300.503." Parents may be notified at the same time the IEP is written. However, if a school district chooses to provide additional notice to parents outside of the IEP meeting, the district must ensure that they are notified in a reasonable amount of time before the proposed graduation date. The Department recommends that this notification occur no later than the fall preceding the proposed graduation. See Massachusetts IEP Process Guide, p. 26.
20 See 603 CMR 28.08.

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