special ed diplomas?

Question

Are special education diplomas really a high school diploma?
or are they a certificate of completion?
One person asked why a teacher would ask a special ed kid to drop out and get a GED?
Some of the answers are a special ed diploma you can
not go to college,but you can with a GED.
I myself have LD and passed my GED in 1989,I learned
more from taking the GED classes than I did in Special ed
classes.Do you think the GED is the way to go for some
kids with learning disabilities? I hope schools are doing
more today to help these kids,get them when they are young and maybe they can be mainstreamed by high school and get the real thing.

Answer 1

According to IDEA, which is the special education law, neither the diploma nor the transcript should have any identifiers on it that would label you special education or any of the supports that you listed. There is no such thing as a special ed diploma.

If a parent does not advocate for their child properly, then they will get stuck with the certificate of completion, which also says nothing, thousands of typical children will get these every year.

Parents MUST be the ones looking into this and advocating for their children. You cannot depend on the school to do what's best for your child, it says in the law that they don't have to...they just have to provide "adequate educational opportunities".

In addition, no child who is on an IEP can just drop out and get a GED, technically and legally that would constitute a change of placement and an IEP meeting would need to be called for the IEP team to discuss the pros and cons.

Some colleges will take GED's. Some will take certificates of completion. Some will take anyone who will pay them lots of money. It's not the diploma which is most important, in fact, there are hundreds of colleges who don't even ASK for diploma's, transcripts are the primary entry, as well as the ACT or SAT score.

Answer 2

In most states, a special diploma means that a student did not complete the requirements other students did to receive a standard high school diploma. A student with a special diploma does not have the same opportunities that a student with a standard diploma does.

Sometimes, getting a special diploma is the best thing for a child and has nothing to do with a parent advocating for a child or a poorly run school or school system. Some students may not be able to complete the requirements for a standard diploma and may need the lower classes offered by opting for a special diploma.

Although the actual diploma may not say "Special Diploma," the high school transcript will show special ed classes, and that the student did not take the required exit tests in order to graduate with a standard diploma.

Any child, with or without an IEP, may drop out of school at the age their state allows them to. In my state it is 16, and if a student chooses to drop out of school no IEP meeting is required. It would be pointless since the child is leaving the school system. If the child wants to return at a later time, obviously there will be paperwork that needs to be completed, however an IEP meeting is not required to leave school.

It is true, however, that a special diploma is not recognized by the federal government, which is one of the reasons that special ed students are able to go to school until the day before their 22nd birthday. They can take extra time if they need to take a reduced course load or need remedial classes.

If a child is determine to go to college but has gotten a special diploma for whatever reason, they may choose to attempt a GED. A GED will allow a person to go into the military and get into college.

Although there are some colleges that will take anyone who can pay, any reputable college requires basic minimum requirements of its applicants. Special diploma classes do not prepare students for college; they are usually for students who are severely below grade level and may focus on functional and vocational skills, not college prep skills.

Answer 3

Some school systems awarded special ed kids who could not complete the academic courses a "completion" certificate or diploma. For a job that requires a high school diploma it might suffice, if they don't look too close. For a college, it wouldn't work, as they would look at the school transcript. The transcript would show that the person didn't complete the necessary coursework. I know of several people who had these completion certificates or diplomas who went back and did a GED, as this was much more academic. The probably would still need to take a lot of prep courses at a community or lower level college before being allowed to take regular college courses.

Answer 4

In my state all students must pass a state-wide standardized test to graduate with a regular diploma. Many kids with LD do this successfully, but unfortunately some do not. For these I think GED would be a good option.
The problem in my opinion is that there isn't enough weight given to the issue. For example, one special education teacher may be case manager for 30 students with no paraprofessional help. How can that teacher adequately service all 30 of those children? They all have such different needs...and schedules! I'm sure there are schools that have great programs, but my experience is that schools really need to revamp the way they service these individuals. And it doesn't help that the federal government hasn't fully funded IDEA in the first place!

Answer 5

There are states which have Special Diplomas for students with disabilities. Florida comes to mind. They offer IEP students a choice, which must be decided upon during the 8th grade, of their goal being to obtain a Standard Diploma, a Special Diploma 1, or Special Diploma 2. The law does not say a Special Diploma cannot be offered, it just says that if a student with a IEP receives a Standard Diploma, then the school system cannot indicate on the diploma that the student was receiving any services in relation to his or her disability, or that the child is disabled. You can view information about these types of diplomas offered in Florida here: http://www.pinellas.k12.fl.us/ese/diploma.html

Answer 6

It depends on the State you are in. In my state, it is only a certificate of completion, and is not considered the same as a high school diploma. It is not accepted for jobs where a high school diploma is required. If this is true in your State, then the special ed students would be better off with a GED if they are able to pass it.

Answer 7

In my state we don't make a distinction.....yet. There has been talk of having a H.S. diploma and a Certificate of Attendance, to which I cannot stand. If a student is successful in their classes, then they should be awarded their diploma...not a certificate for showing up.

Answer 8

After school or college fundamental course, specialise in any particular field. For this purpose,Diploma courses are available.