5456 GRADUATION
Candyy31
RESPONSE5435.docx
2
RESPONSE 1
Jul 19, 2022Jul 19 at 2:39pm
It is not an easy question to answer about whether or not graduation requirements should be the same for students with disabilities. I think there are pros and cons to either side of this issue.
For states that require exit exams in order to graduate, there are advantages and disadvantages to requiring students with disabilities to meet the same graduation requirements. Students are more likely to receive services in a general education classroom than in a self-contained classroom and it better prepares them for postsecondary education or the workforce. However, sometimes this means students have to stay in school longer, have repeated failures on exams which can be discouraging, and have higher dropout rates (Johnson et al., 2009).
Another issue facing graduation requirements for disabled students is that they are inconsistent across the states. There is no national standard for graduation requirements, so states are left to make their own decisions (Thurlow et al., 1997). This means that in one state an alternative to graduation requirements might mean that completing an IEP is sufficient, however another state might not honor that. This gets confusing because if someone with a disability moves to another state and tries to get employment it can be unclear whether they truly met that state's requirements or if they just completed an IEP.
I agree with the graduation plan proposed by Louisiana. IEP teams have the ability to set different standards for different students (Louisiana Department of Education, 2014), but as long as they are proposing the highest possible level of achievement for these students, students are still receiving free and appropriate public education (FAPE). I can see how it could cause inconsistencies among students with disabilities by offering alternative pathways, however, I see more good coming out of this decision than bad. There were opponents to this plan and this can be seen in the letter written to John White (Louisiana Department of Education, 2014). This graduation is still in effect and as of 2020 has been renamed the April Dunn Bill (Official Seal of the State of Louisiana, 2020).
References
Gov. Edwards Signs bill in honor of April Dunn. Official Seal of the State of Louisiana. (2020, June 4). Retrieved July 19, 2022, from https://gov.louisiana.gov/index.cfm/newsroom/detail/2531 (Links to an external site.)
Johnson, D. R., Stout, K. E., & Thurlow, M. L. (2009). Diploma Options and Perceived Consequences for Students with Disabilities. Exceptionality, 17(3), 119–134. doi:10.1080/09362830903028390
Louisiana Department of Education, Yudin, M. K., & Delise, D. S., To Honorable John White (2014). Baton Rouge, LA.
Thurlow, M. L., Ysseldyke, J. E., & Reid, C. L. (1997). High School Graduation Requirements for Students with Disabilities. Journal of Learning Disabilities, 30(6), 608–616. doi:10.1177/002221949703000604
RESPONSE 2
Hey Samantha, I enjoyed reading your post. I agree that the question posed for this week did not have a black and white answer. The goal is to help the students employ strategies so they can participate in the general classroom and receive the same instruction and content as students without disabilities (Polloway, 2019). So, the question is, “What is the best way to do that for each student, while giving them a high-quality education?”
I feel like I can agree with the graduation plan posed by Louisiana. As you stated, it can work if the educators show integrity and are complying with FAPE and IDEA. With the April Dunn Act, a student can qualify as early 3rd grade (2022). The IEP team can formulate a plan to ensure students can receive the same curriculum instruction as their peers. So unlike a general education classroom, where a student will take a test with all the standards on it. The IEP team can break down the standards into smaller assessments for the student to reach their goal.
References
Polloway, E. A., Patton, J. R., Serna, L., & Bailey, J. (2019). 1. In Strategies for teaching learners with special needs (11th ed.). Pearson.
What is the April Dunn Act (Act 833). (2022). Exceptional Lives. Retrieved July 26, 2022, from https://guides.exceptionallives.org/hc/en-us/articles/360022352734-What-Is-the-April-Dunn-Act-Act-833-
