Florence County School District Three

Introduction and Purpose

South Carolina has roughly 100,000 students with disabilities serviced under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), of which the majority are able to earn a state high school diploma. Given the varying levels of student achievement, as well as the inability to complete required high school coursework, there is a need to provide an alternative option for students with disabilities to demonstrate their ability to transition into the work community. The uniform state-recognized South High School Credential will be aligned to a newly created course of study for these students with disabilities whose Individualized Education Program (IEP) team determines this course of study is appropriate.

To align with the State’s Profile of the South Carolina Graduate, an opportunity that will assist these students in acquiring skills necessary to be successful after high school is critical. The purpose of S.C. Code Ann. Section 59-39-100 and State Board of Education Reg. 43-235 is to provide equitable job-readiness opportunities for these students throughout the state, ensure they have evidence of employability skills, and honor the work they have undertaken in our public schools.

State Board of Education Reg. 43-235, as governed by S.C. Code Ann. Section 59-39-100, promulgates the program components and criteria for a state-recognized SC High School Credential for applicable students with disabilities for whom such a credential is appropriate.

Pursuant to the statutory requirements in S.C. Ann., Section 59-39-100, beginning in the 2018– 19 school year, students with disabilities entering grade nine may attain a uniform diploma through one of the recognized personalized pathways; or may attain a uniform SC High School Credential. Nothing restricts any student from obtaining a state high school diploma. Nothing contained in this regulation restricts local school boards of trustees from awarding students with a certificate of attendance for students with disabilities who do not meet the requirements for earning either a state high school diploma or a state South Carolina High School Credential.

Beginning no earlier than the end of the student’s eighth grade academic school year, or later if deemed appropriate by the student’s IEP team, and updated annually thereafter, the IEP team must determine if the student’s expected high school outcome will be to attain a state high school diploma or a state-recognized SC High School Credential. The course of study identified in the IEP must match this determination.

The South Carolina Department of Education (SCDE), as the State Educational Agency (SEA); all Local Educational Agencies (LEAs); all State-Operated Programs (SOPs); and all other public programs providing special education and related services as outlined in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) must follow and comply with all statutory and regulatory requirements of the IDEA as outlined in 20 U.S.C. Section 1400 et seq., and the Code of Federal Regulations (C.F.R.), Chapter 34, Part 300. In addition to the statutory and regulatory requirements to which the state adheres, Reg. 43-235 further delineates requirements for attaining a state-recognized South Carolina High School Credential.

This policy defines the requirements for attaining a state-recognized South Carolina High School Credential in Florence County School District Three.

The decision to accept the South Carolina High School Credential does not relieve the LEA or SOP from providing a free appropriate public education (FAPE) to the student until age 21 as defined in Reg. 43-243(III)(B) or until the student receives a regular high school diploma as defined in 34 C.F.R 300.102(a)(3)(iv).

The LEA or SOP must explain and provide annual written notice to the parent, guardian, or adult student that the South Carolina High School Credential is not a state high school diploma. For the purposes of this part, an adult student is defined as a student who has reached the age of majority as outlined in Reg. 43-242(III)(F)(1).

An IEP team’s decision to identify the South Carolina High School Credential as the student’s expected high school outcome must be based on data to include, but not be limited to, longitudinal information of student grades, standardized achievement assessments, informal and formal transition assessments, adaptive behavior assessments, and work readiness assessments. The decision must be made only after the IEP team considers a continuum of program options that may allow the student to pursue a diploma.

Course Requirements 

Minimal Course Requirements: The South Carolina High School Credential is designed for students with disabilities for whom the IEP team determined mastery of a career-based educational program that includes academics, independent work experience, daily living skills, and self-determination skill competencies is the most appropriate way to demonstrate his or her skills and provide a FAPE. To attain the South Carolina High School Credential, the student must meet the graduation requirements of one unit of physical education/health (or equivalent) and one unit of technology course; a student must adhere to the local attendance policy; and a student must complete a total of 24 earned units that include the following:

1. Course work aligned with the South Carolina College and Career-Ready Standards for English Language Arts (four units), Mathematics (four units), Science (two units), and Social Studies (two units);

    

2. Four units of Employability Education; and

    

3. Six electives

Minimal Required Components    

In addition to completing coursework outlined in Section B, to receive a South Carolina High School Credential, a student must:

1. Complete a career portfolio that includes a multimedia presentation project;

    

2. Obtain work readiness assessment results that demonstrate the student is ready for competitive employment;

The district has approved the following means of completing the minimal required components as part of the South Carolina High School Credential:

• Year 3 – Project Discovery Lab Training w/ partial VR support (1 semester)

• Year 4 – Job skills training (school – based) w/ full VR support (2 semesters)
• Essentials classes can be substituted for Carnegie Unit classes at the discretion of the IEP Team

Work-Based Training and Learning 

In additional to completing coursework outlined in Section B and C, in order to receive a South Carolina High School Credential a student must complete work-based learning/training that totals at least 360 hours, in which:

1. Work-based learning/training may be school-based, community-based, and/or paid or unpaid employment;

    

2. Work-based learning/training must be aligned with the student’s interests, preferences, and postsecondary goals and individual graduation plan; and

    

3. Paid employment must be at a minimum wage or above and in compliance with the requirements of the Federal Fair Labor Standards Act;

The district has approved the following means of completing the work-based training as part of the South Carolina High School Credential:

Eligibility Criteria

Requirements of the statute:

To be eligible to receive the South Carolina High School Credential, the student must be able to meet the following requirements:

1. Academic Coursework
   • Course work aligned with the South Carolina College and Career-Ready Standards for English Language Arts (four units), Mathematics (four units), Science (two units), and Social Studies (two units)¹;
   • Four units of Employability Education; and
   • One health/PE unit or its equivalent; and
   • Six electives
2. Pre-employment Preparation
   • Complete a career portfolio that includes a multimedia presentation project;
   • Obtain work readiness assessment results that demonstrate the student is ready for competitive employment; and
   • Complete work-based learning/training that totals at least 360 hours, in which:
     • Work-based learning/training may be school-based, community-based, and/or paid or unpaid employment;
     • Work-based learning/training must be aligned with the student’s interests, preferences, and postsecondary goals and individual graduation plan; and
     • Paid employment must be at a minimum wage or above and in compliance with the requirements of the Federal Fair Labor Standards Act.

The requirements for the South Carolina High School Credential may not be modified.

Information/Data Considerations

The IEP team must review and discuss multiple sources of information. Sources that the team may consider reviewing include, but are not limited to, the student’s current and past IEPs, psychological evaluation reports, cognitive ability tests, achievement assessments, transition assessments, language assessments, district-wide assessments, individual assessments, teacher collected data from classroom observations, IEP goal progress monitoring data, the types of services the student currently receives, and the duration and intensity of those services.

The IEP team has three courses of study to consider: SC Diploma Course of Study, SC Credential Course of Study, and locally awarded credential (e.g., Certificate of Attendance).

The first option to consider for all students is a regular high school diploma. If an IEP team deems that a regular high school diploma is not appropriate, the team must determine which of the other courses of study is appropriate, the South Carolina High School Credential or the Certificate of Attendance.

The IEP team should consider (but is not limited to) the following:

• Description of any modifications or accommodations to the general curriculum or typical instruction and progress data, and the rate at which the student currently progresses through the general curriculum. For example, will the student be able to meet the requirements for a SC high school diploma considering their current performance and pace in the general curriculum?
• Past courses and interventions attempted to instruct the student including the amount of time the student spent in the course daily, the length of time the student was in the course, and the successfulness of the intervention.
• Opportunity for the student to be served though universal supports (academics and behavior) in the core curriculum that is provided for all students, and being the recipient of additional or intensified supports as indicated by their data and reflected on the IEP. A Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) presumes the participation of every student, including those with disabilities, in the core curriculum, which includes small and large group instruction. The term ‘multitier system of supports’ means a comprehensive continuum of evidence-based, systemic practices to support a rapid response to students’ needs, with regular observation to facilitate data-based instructional decision making (Title IX, Sec. 8002(33)).
• Teacher collected data and work samples from classroom instruction and assessments.
• Results of statewide and districtwide assessments.
• Achievement score data from any other relevant assessments.

   

  Eligibility Requirements:

• The student is able to successfully complete an academic course of study that will include a minimum of 24 earned units (documentation will include a copy of transcript).
• The student is able to create and present a career portfolio and a multi-media career presentation (documentation will include scored evaluation forms).
• The student is able to complete the required 360 hours of work experience that meets the requirements of the statute.

   

  Eligibility Considerations:

• The student is capable of showing documented growth academically and functionally.
• The student is capable of successfully completing a career based curriculum to include academics, independent work experience, and living skills.
• The student is capable of sustaining competitive employment.
• The team needs to include stakeholders who know the South Carolina High School Credential and the districts specific course to help the team determine if the credential is an appropriate course of study.