Why don't schools let sped kids know they do NOT get a diploma??

Question

I have heard so many times that special ed kids in schools do not get a legal high school diploma, they only get a certificate of completion.

AND, I have heard so many times that these kids and their parents dont' even realize this until they get it.

WHY ???? This is horrible

I'm not saying all schools do this, but I have heard this A LOT

Answer 1

That is a load of garbage. I was a special education student and I obtained the standard high school diploma.

What people hear versus what actually happens are two different things.

Answer 2

It's a tangent but I should note that many (maybe more than half) special education kids do qualify for diplomas, or at least vocational diplomas (a variation that basically means 9th grade academics and job training... don't know if they have that everywhere, but it was available in my school in Missouri). ADHD kids can pass high school. Same with most kids with CP. Physical disabilites, of course. Emotional/behavior has nothing to do with grades. Autism, often times. Specific learning disabilities like dyslexia don't present much of an obstacle either. In the best of all possible worlds, kids who can't get diplomas will nevertheless exit school having been taught life skills to the best of their abilities, and with a working transition plan to give them the next steps as they enter adulthood... whether that's job training, or just stuff like learning how to use a bus system... Realistically, of course, many people will just write them off and warehouse them, but that's what the parents' momma bear skills are for.

Answer 3

You don't get a high school diploma based on whether or not you are in special education, you get one based on whether or not you can pass the criteria, and the information about those is available to ALL students.

It is difficult to say to someone that they are not likely to pass high school, even when you are pretty sure that is the case, but schools should make very clear about what is required and where students are in their progress towards it for ALL students.

Answer 4

It depends on the state and the student.  In my state every student (including those who are severely cognitively impaired and can only communicate through gestures/actions) get a standard diploma.

A special ed student can still get a standard diploma if tehy can meet the standard graduation requirements

Some states give a modified standard diploma that should be just about as good as a standard diploma.

It SHOULD be discussed and written in the Students IEP upon entering High School.

Unfortunately, many parents/students probably aren't properly informed what an alternative diploma is before tehy agree to it

Answer 5

They do get a diploma but it's just not a high school diploma.  It's called an IEP diploma.

Answer 6

I think a lot of times it is because no one wants to be the bearer of the bad news or they assume that the parents are already aware of the requirements for a diploma.  As a high school teacher it has always bothered me that we are often the ones telling parents for the first time that if their child cannot pass the graduation qualifying exam or meet the terms for a waiver that their child will not get a diploma.  In my opinion, this information needs to start being given to the parents at the elementary level and definately at the middle school level, particularly in cases of a child who has never passed the annual standardized tests.  I think that would help parents to grasp the reality of the situation prior to being in it.  It is no fun telling a parent this news.  I always let them know at the 8th grade transition conference what is required to earn a diploma and for the students that it is probably not a reality for, I typically tell the parents that while it isn't "impossible" for their child to meet the requirements, it will be very difficult for their child to do so.

Answer 7

Honestly, my biggest issue with that is lack of parental interest OR parents being special needs themselves. I've tried to talk to parents... even trying to push a kid into the regular classroom at the middle school to at least give him a try. The parent talked about trying to make things easy for him rather than giving him a push.

I've only had two parents push for a regular diploma and their kids had zero hope of passing the coursework with every accommodation ever invented. One didn't last ten days before we moved him back.

My county has a separate, extra form that the parent signs at each IEP meeting stating that their child is working towards a special ed. diploma. It's the ONLY two sentences on the form. Set in the middle with signatures of the entire IEP team at the bottom. The even took special care to put the writing at a sixth grade reading level. When senior year comes and the parent wants to know why they can't go to a four-year college (yes, Duke and Yale have come up in these conversations), we pull out the forms.

I'm sure there are some teachers in a hurry that do NOT fully explain things to the parents, but it's the parent's responsibility to at least read the IEP in five years. A diploma track has to be chosen BEFORE the kid turns 14. That's seventh or eight grade!

Answer 8

I wouldn't think someone so offended would be using the term "sped".

Answer 9

It's Ableism that's doing it

Answer 10

Most ESE students do get a standard diploma.  In our state the parents are required to sign a form stating which diploma option they choose for their child after discussion with the IEP team.  The form lists the different types of diploma options.  This information is also available on the district and state websites, as are the procedural safeguards, which are given at every IEP meeting.  There is a great deal of information available about graduation options, and parents should take the responsibility to educate themselves before an IEP meeting so they can have an intelligent conversation at the meeting.  It is the parent's choice, based on the IEP team's recommendation and discussion, and they need to fully comprehend the options.  It is difficult to believe that a child can go through four years of high school taking all sped classes, which usually includes basic and vocational classes, and the parent has no idea this is different from the standard curriculum.  Maybe a better question to ask is why parents are signing forms they haven't read and/or don't understand, or why they make uninformed choices.  And please don't blame the school yet again.  Parents must become aware and involved in their child's education and form partnerships with the school, not an adversarial relationship as you often advocate for.

Your answers consistently attack schools and teachers and don't recognize that most teachers and schools are doing the best they can for each student.  Any teacher can tell you horror stories about parents who don't attend IEP meetings, have poor parenting skills, do their child's homework, and blame the teacher and school for all their child's shortcomings and failures.  

Sure, there are some teachers and schools that are ineffective, but there are far more who care deeply about their students and provide the best education possible every day without one iota of support from the home.