By Ms. Peisch of Wellesley, petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 513) of Alice Hanlon Peisch and others relative to high school graduation requirements for students with learning disabilities.  Education.

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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PETITION OF:

 

Alice Hanlon Peisch

Barbara A. L'Italien

Mary E. Grant

John D. Keenan

Michael F. Rush

Tom Sannicandro

John W. Scibak

William N. Brownsberger

Thomas P. Kennedy

David Paul Linsky

Cory Atkins

Karen E. Spilka

Kathi-Anne Reinstein

Walter F. Timilty

Denise Provost

Jennifer M. Callahan

 

 

 

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In the Year Two Thousand and Seven.

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 An Act relating to high school graduation requirements for students with learning disabilities.  .

 

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:

 

SECTION 1. Subsection (i) of Section 1D of Chapter 69 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2004 Official Edition, is hereby amended by inserting after “high school graduation” the following:

 

, except as described in subsection (ia) below

 

SECTION 2. Section 1D of Chapter 69 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2004 Official Edition, is hereby amended by inserting after subection (i) the following:

 

(ia) Any “School Age Child with a Disability,” as defined by G. L. c.  71B   s. 1, who fails to satisfy the requirements of the competency determination may nonetheless receive a  high school diploma if the following requirements are met:

 

  1. S/he has been measured by the assessment instruments described in section one I a minimum of two times and has failed to achieve the required competency level in one or more subjects;
  2. The Superintendent of Schools in the student’s district has certified that the student’s “Specific Learning Impairment”, as defined by G.L. c. 71B s.1, is the proximate cause of his/her failure to achieve the required competency level(s) and that there is no generally accepted remediation for such disability that would result in the student’s achieving the required competency level(s);
  3. The student has participated in and satisfactorily completed an Educational Proficiency Plan, as defined by the Department of Education, in all subjects in which s/he has failed to achieve the required competency level;
  4. The student has met all other requirements for graduation, both district and state, and has completed the goals of the his/her Individual Education Plan to his/her and his/her parent(s) satisfaction.

 

Any diploma awarded pursuant to this section shall be known as a “standard” diploma but shall be considered evidence of high school graduation for purposes of post-secondary school admission, eligibility for state and federal post-secondary financial aid, and eligibility for employment.  Any diploma awarded pursuant to this section shall not, in and of itself, terminate a student’s eligibility for special education service before the student reaches the age of twenty-two.