ST. LOUIS BOARD OF EDUCATION POLICY

STUDENTS
ELEMENTARY, MIDDLE AND SECONDARY
Progress

Graduation - Diplomas - Students with Disabilities

The St. Louis Board of Education shall award regular course credit for secondary students with disabilities who successfully complete the requirements and related IEP goals and objectives for courses taught by certified special education teachers. Regular credits earned by students with disabilities shall be applied as course credit for a standard diploma.

The Board of Education graduation requirement of one unit of foreign language credit may be waived for a student with a disability as determined by the student's IEP committee.

Students with disabilities who have attended secondary school for four (4) years but do not qualify for a standard diploma, may be awarded a Certificate of Completion if they have met the goals and objectives in their IEP and have satisfactory attendance for eight (8) semesters. Nonetheless such students may continue to be enrolled in the public schools until age 21 in accordance with applicable state and federal laws and Regulations.

References

Legal: P.L. 105-17 and Regulations
State Plan for Part B of the Individuals with Disabilities Act, As Amended by Public Law 94-142
Annual Compliance Plan for Special Education

Policy adopted: January 9, 1990

Revised: December 07, 1999

R5127.2.1

ST. LOUIS BOARD OF EDUCATION REGULATION
STUDENTS
ELEMENTARY, MIDDLE AND SECONDARY
Progress

Graduation – Diplomas – Students with Disabilities

The St. Louis Board of Education will grant either a standard diploma or a certificate of completion to students with disabilities who accumulate twenty-two (22) units of credit as outlined in the Curriculum of the St. Louis Public Schools, and demonstrate proficiency in basic skills required by the State of Missouri and/or the St. Louis Board of Education.

1. For students currently enrolled in resource program courses, one of the following conditions will apply:
a. A resource student graduating after August 1992 can earn up to nine units of regular credit in his/her resource program. These credits must be earned after September 1990 and may be applied as course credit for a standard diploma.
b. A resource student graduating after August 1993 can earn up to twelve units of regular credit in his/her resource program. These credits must be earned after September 1990 and may be applied as course credit for a standard diploma.
A student may earn additional course credit while attending summer school which would be evaluated on an individual case basis by the student's IEP team and school counselor.
The number of regular course credits that a resource student can earn in the resource program (up to the maximum stated) will be governed by each disabled student's IEP team.
The IEP team for the student must consider his/her academic readiness, previous success in regular class and the "least restrictive environment" principle prior to recommending resource program credit in lieu of regular education courses.
Resource programs are to be recommended only when it can be documented that the student can not make satisfactory educational progress in regular classes, even with supports and supplementary aids.
S.T.E.P./Self-contained Classes
The number of units of credit applied toward a standard diploma will be determined on an individual basis by the student's IEP team for students with disabilities in the S.T.E.P. (Student Toward Employment Program) or other self-contained special education classes.
Certificate of Completion
A student with a disability who has been in the secondary education program for four (4) years and who does not qualify for a standard diploma may be awarded a Certificate of Completion if the following requirements are met.
1. Satisfactory achievement of IEP goals and objectives during the course of secondary special education programming.
2. Satisfactory attendance for eight (8) semesters as determined by the board's attendance policy.
3. Proper notification of the student's parent(s)/guardian(s) of the proposed action.
Nonetheless such students may continue to be enrolled in the public schools until age 21 in accordance with applicable state and federal laws and Regulations.

References

Legal: P.L. 105-17 and Regulations
State Plan for Part B of the Individuals with Disabilities Act, As Amended by Public Law 94-142
Annual Compliance Plan for Special Education

Regulation approved: January 9, 1990

Revised: November 10, 1992

Revised: December 07, 1999