The school wants to transition a 20 year old high school student to post secondary services. What documents establish the exiting criteria?
There are no clear, specific documents to establish exit criteria for a 20 year old student, except for a regular high school diploma. Absent that, exiting is not an option.
However, a part of an IEP and a transition plan can include attending and taking courses at a community college or vocational program or education in a “community-based” setting. IDEA 2004 does authorize the payment of public school special education Part B funds for the child’s tuition at the other facility.
Find more information here: Transitional Programs on College Campuses or in the Community
Under IDEA 2004 the child with a disability is entitled to special education services:
- until reaching his 22nd birthday, or
- graduating from high school with a regular high school diploma,
whichever occurs first.
IDEA: 20 USC 1412(a)(1)(A)
Federal Regulations: 34 CFR 300.101 and 102.
See the discussion on p. 71 and 204 in your law book.
Some states may provide more specificity than what is described in both the IDEA statute and the federal regulations.
You will also want to check your state’s special education regulations on this. Find your state regulations on the website of your state Department of Education.
This is an example of where having a mission statement is so important when advocating for a child. In order to have a meaningful mission statement, an independent evaluation is done to determine strengths and weaknesses.
The Mission Statement not only keeps us emotionally grounded during IEP negotiations, it can serve as a road map when we approach a cross road in the journey of your child’s success story.
My son is in college now and we still live by the mission statement we used when he was in the 7th grade. The difference now is that he is able to negotiate his differences without us.