Please Speak out on Including the General Diploma in the Graduation Rate

Please let the Indiana Department of Education (IDOE) know that you support their request to count students who receive a general education diploma in the graduation rate for the state.

Please go to this link to leave your comment by December 2nd: https://www.doe.in.gov/news/public-comment.

Down Syndrome Indiana agrees with the Indiana Department of Education that, “the State’s and the new federal definition of a “regular high school diploma” will negatively impact Indiana’s published graduation rates, misidentify schools as needing comprehensive support, and create unnecessary confusion and mistrust of our accountability systems.” Down Syndrome Indiana supports a waiver from the federal definition which currently would not count students receiving a general diploma in a school’s graduation rate. Down Syndrome Indiana believes deeply in inclusion and is concerned that students who are capable of earning a general diploma would be urged to earn a Certificate of Completion instead which can hinder their post high school opportunities. If nothing changes, then students who earn a general diploma will not be counted in a school’s graduation rate.  (They will still have a diploma.)

Please do submit your comments as soon as possible. The deadline is December 2^nd.  This can have a huge impact on the future of our children’s education.

A copy of the state’s waiver request is available here: https://www.doe.in.gov/sites/default/files/news/waiver-requestnovember2.pdf.