State Creates Plan For Special Needs Students To Graduate

After a long fight education advocates on Long Island and across the country, the Board of Regents announced on Monday that it would be adopting new regulations that would create new ways for students with special needs to graduate high school with a local diploma.

New York State phased out Regents Competency Tests (RCTs) in recent years and replaced them with strict requirements to pass five Regents exams in order to earn a high school diploma. Despite the Safety Net option to earn a score of 55 or above on three of the five required Regents exams, some students have had tremendous difficulty passing these tests.

Students could earn a New York State Career Development and Occupational Studies Commencement Credential was introduced as an alternative for high school students with disabilities. However, this new credential is not recognized by colleges, the military and many employers. Therefore, students who cannot pass the five required Regents exams — despite attaining good grades in class — have been unable to obtain a meaningful high school diploma and are therefore locked out of many post-secondary opportunities in which they would otherwise thrive.

"We know that our students with special needs students can and will meet the state's rigorous learning standards, and we're increasing the avenues by which they can demonstrate their proficiency in these standards," said Board of Regents Chancellor Betty A. Rosa. "As policy makers, it's our job to give all students the opportunity to demonstrate their ability to meet the State's graduation requirements. The rules we adopted today will enable many students with disabilities to graduate high school with a meaningful diploma."

The amended regulations now permit students who have passed their ELA and mathematics Regents-level courses, but are unable to earn a minimum score of 55 on the tests, to seek a superintendent determination by completing the requirements of the Commencement Credential.

The new rule also provides discretion to school principals, in consultation with teachers, to award a Commencement Credential to students with disabilities who are otherwise eligible to graduate in either the 2017-18 or 2018-19 school year, if such students have otherwise demonstrated the knowledge and skills related to the CDOS learning standards sufficient for entry-level employment.

The principal must have evidence that the student has successfully completed relevant instructional and work-based learning activities that demonstrate they have readiness skills for entry-level employment.

"This major step will unlock a world of opportunity for kids whose potential has been stymied by an unyielding bureaucracy," said Sen. Todd Kaminsky, who has long been fighting to have the paths to a diploma restored. "I have met with far too many students who demonstrate a clear ability to succeed on the next level, but have been unfairly prevented from receiving a diploma. Some of these students may go on to change the world and I look forward to seeing what they will achieve."

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