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GRADUATION

 

 

GRADUATION

Authorities: 34 CFR Part 300; Texas Education Code; Texas Family Code; 19 TAC Chapters 74, 89, and 101; House Bill 3
 
 
 
  FEDERAL AND STATE REQUIREMENTS
Except as specifically provided as follows, graduation with a regular high school diploma terminates a child's eligibility for special education services and: 
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  • Constitutes a change of placement and requires compliance with the PRIOR WRITTEN NOTICE framework.
Employability and self-help skills are those skills directly related to the preparation of children for employment, including general skills necessary to obtain or retain employment.
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Modified curriculum and modified content refer to any reduction of the amount or complexity of the required Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills. 
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Substitutions that are specifically authorized in statute or rule must not be considered modified curriculum or modified content.
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FOUNDATION HIGH SCHOOL PROGRAM
A child who receives special education services may graduate and be awarded a regular high school diploma if the child meets the following criteria:
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  • Demonstrates mastery of the required state standards or local education agency (LEA) standards if they are greater; 
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  • Satisfactorily completes the credit requirements for graduation under the Foundation High School Program; and 
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  • Achieves satisfactory performance on the required end-of-course assessment instruments.
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A child who receives special education services may also graduate and be awarded a regular high school diploma if the child meets the following criteria:
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  • Demonstrates mastery of the required state standards or LEA standards if they are greater;
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  • Satisfactorily completes the credit requirements for graduation under the Foundation High School Program; and

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  • The child's admission, review, and dismissal (ARD) committee has determined that satisfactory performance on the required end-of-course assessment instruments is not required for graduation.
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A child who receives special education services may also graduate and be awarded a regular high school diploma if the child meets the following criteria:
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  • Demonstrates mastery of the required state standards or LEA standards if they are greater;
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  • Satisfactorily completes the credit requirements for graduation under the Foundation High School Program through courses, one or more of which contain modified curriculum that is aligned to the standards applicable to general education;
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  • Achieves satisfactory performance on the required end-of-course assessment instruments, unless the child's ARD committee has determined that satisfactory performance on the required end-of-course assessment instruments is not required for graduation; and
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  • Successfully completes the individualized education program (IEP) and meets one of the following conditions:
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    • Consistent with the IEP, has obtained full-time employment, based on the child's abilities and local employment opportunities, in addition to mastering sufficient self-help skills to enable the child to maintain the employment without direct and ongoing educational support of the LEA;
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    • Consistent with the IEP, has demonstrated mastery of specific employability skills and self-help skills that do not require direct ongoing educational support of the LEA; or
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  • Where employability and self-help skills are those skills directly related to the preparation of children for employment, including general skills necessary to obtain or retain employment; or
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    • Has access to services that are not within the legal responsibility of public education or employment or educational options established through transition planning;
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A child receiving special education services may earn an endorsement by:
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  • Satisfactorily completing, with or without modification of the curriculum:
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    • The curriculum requirements for graduation under the Foundation High School Program;
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    • The additional credit requirements in mathematics, science, and elective courses; and 
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  • Satisfactorily completing the courses required for that endorsement:
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    • Without modification of the curriculum for those courses; or
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    • With modification of the curriculum for those courses, provided that the curriculum as modified, is sufficiently rigorous as determined by the child's ARD committee.
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  • The ARD committee of a child in a special education program will determine whether the child is required to achieve satisfactory performance on an end-of-course assessment instrument to earn an endorsement on the child's transcript.
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A child who is classified in grade 11 or 12 who has taken each of the required state assessments but failed to achieve satisfactory performance on no more than two of the assessments is eligible to receive an endorsement if the child meets the other requirements for an endorsement. Citations:
 
TRANSITION TO THE FOUNDATION HIGH SCHOOL PROGRAM FOR CHILDREN WHO ENTERED GRADE 9 BEFORE THE 2014-15 SCHOOL YEAR

A child transitioning to the Foundation High School Program who is classified in grade 11 or 12 who has taken each of the required state assessments but failed to achieve satisfactory performance on no more than two of the assessments may graduate if the child has satisfied all other applicable graduation requirements.

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A child who is 21 years of age on September 1 of a school year receiving special education services who did not meet the credit, curriculum, and assessment requirements under the Foundation High School Program, is not eligible to receive a diploma but may receive a certificate of attendance and participate in a graduation ceremony with children receiving high school diplomas.

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SUBSTITUTIONS UNDER THE FOUNDATION HIGH SCHOOL PROGRAM
A child, who due to a disability, is unable to complete two credits in the same language in a language-other-than-English (LOTE), may substitute a combination of two credits from English language arts, mathematics, science, or social studies or two credits in career and technical education, technology applications, or other academic electives for the LOTE credit requirements if the ARD committee determines that the child is unable to complete the LOTE credit requirements.
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A child who is unable to participate in physical activity due to a disability or illness may substitute one credit in English language arts, mathematics, science, social studies, a locally-designed course that meets the state criteria for substitution under state law, or one academic credit elective for the physical education (PE) credit requirement if the ARD committee determines that the child is unable to participate in physical activity. Citations:
A credit allowed to be substituted for LOTE or PE credit may not be used to satisfy any other graduation credit requirement.
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DISTINGUISHED ACHIEVEMENT, RECOMMENDED, AND MINIMUM HIGH SCHOOL PROGRAMS
A summary of academic achievement and functional performance must be provided prior to exit from public school for children who meet one of the following conditions: Citations:
  • Demonstrates mastery of the state standards or LEA standards if they are greater;
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  • Satisfactorily completes credit requirements for graduation, under the recommended or distinguished achievement high school programs; and 
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  • Achieves satisfactory performance on the required state assessments; or
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  • Is 21 years of age on September 1 of a school year; or
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  • Has met requirements for graduation specified in subsection (b)(2) or (b)(3)(A), (B), or (C) of this section. Additionally, a child meeting this condition is entitled to an evaluation as described in 300.305(e)(1).
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The summary of performance described previously must include recommendations on how to assist the child in meeting the child's postsecondary goals.

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The summary must also consider, as appropriate, the views of the parent and child and written recommendations from adult service agencies on how to assist the child in meeting postsecondary goals.

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A child who meets graduation requirements and who will continue enrollment in public school to receive special education services aligned with their transition plan will be provided the summary of performance upon exit from the public school system. These children are entitled to participate in commencement ceremonies and receive a certificate of attendance after completing four years of high school.

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For children who graduate and receive a diploma, the ARD committee must determine needed special education services upon the request of the parent or child to resume services, as long as the child is between the ages of 3-21 years old.

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CERTIFICATES OF ATTENDANCE AND PARTICIPATION IN GRADUATION CEREMONIES
The LEA must issue a certificate of attendance to the child who has completed four years of high school but has not completed the IEP.
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The LEA must allow the child who receives a certificate of attendance to participate in a graduation ceremony with children receiving high school diplomas. Citations:
The child may participate in only one graduation ceremony to receive a certificate of attendance. Citations:
The child who receives a certificate of attendance is not prevented from receiving a diploma if the child completes the IEP. Citations:
 
FINANCIAL AID APPLICATION REQUIREMENT
Beginning with children enrolled in grade 12 during the 2021-22 school year:
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  • Before graduating from high school, each child must complete and submit a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) or a Texas Application for State Financial Aid (TAFSA).
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  • The child is not required to submit the FAFSA or the TAFSA if:
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    • The child's parent or other person standing in parental relation submits a signed form indicating that the parent or other person authorizes the child to decline to complete and submit the financial aid application;
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    • The child signs and submits the form on the child's own behalf if the child is 18 years of age or older or the child's disabilities of minority have been removed for general purposes; or
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    • A school counselor authorizes the child to decline to complete and submit the financial aid application for good cause, as determined by the school counselor.
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  • The LEA must adopt a form to be used for purposes of documenting the waiver to submit the FAFSA or TASFA, and the form must be:
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    • Approved by the Texas Education Agency; and
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    • Made available in English, Spanish, and any other language spoken by a majority of the children enrolled in a bilingual education or special language program in the district or school.
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  • If a school counselor notifies an LEA whether a child has complied with the financial aid application requirement, the school counselor may only indicate whether the child has complied with this section and may not indicate the manner in which the child complied.
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  Last Updated : Mon, Jul 21, 2025