Diploma
Options and Considerations
for Students with Disabilities:
What Every Elementary Parent Should Know
Teachers and parents
working together
to make a world of difference for all children.
Alachua County
Exceptional Student Education
Superintendent
of Schools
W. Daniel Boyd, Jr., Ed. D.
Q: Why should parents think about diploma options and graduation while their child is in elementary school?
A: It’s good to begin thinking about the graduation options when your child starts elementary school. The elementary school program lays the foundation for future years. By the end of middle school, you and your child will be asked to make more definite plans about diploma choices. This is not a decision you will make on your own. You will be assisted throughout this process by school and district staff.
Q: What is the difference between special and standard diploma?
A: The Standard diploma is the type of high school diploma earned by most students who graduate from Florida high schools. All students, including students with disabilities, are entitled to earn a standard diploma. To do so, they must meet the graduation requirements set by the state and the local school districts.
Special diploma options offer choices to students with disabilities who are not able to meet the requirements for a standard diploma.
Q: How do I choose the right diploma for my child?
A: This is an important decision that should be clearly thought out and be based upon a review of all available information regarding the student’s progress. Some valuable sources of information are listed below:
- Assessment records (such as classroom tests, standardized tests, teacher observations, and work samples).
- Prior IEP’s
- Teacher reports
- Input from you and your son or daughter, including information about his or her goals for employment and adult living.
Q: When is the diploma option determined?
A: The decision whether to take a course of study leading to a standard diploma or to a special diploma must first be addressed at the transition individual educational plan (transition IEP) meeting conducted during your child’s eighth grade year or the transition IEP meeting conducted during the year your child turns age 14, whichever comes first.
Q: As a 5th grade parent, how do I keep the doors open to diploma options?
A: In making the initial diploma decision, it is important to aim high. Give the student every opportunity to participate in general education curriculum and all standardized assessments.
Q: Can I change my mind?
A: Yes, the diploma choice is reviewed annually at the transition IEP meeting, and the transition IEP team may change the diploma selection if needed.
Please Note: Due to course and credit requirements, it is more difficult to move from a Special to a Standard diploma.
This brochure is designed to provide information to parents of children with disabilities about diploma options available to their children by the Florida Public School System. Having knowledge about these options will help you, as a parent, make educated decisions which will affect the future of your most prized possession-your child.
Courtesy of the Alachua
County Exceptional Student Education Advisory Council.
Executive Director of Exceptional Student Education, Kathleen V. Black
For more information contact your child’s school or Bruce Tomlinson at 955-7676.
