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RAISE The Standard, January 2025, v.11 n.3

RAISE (The National Resources for Access, Independence, Self-determination and Employment (RAISE) Technical Assistance Center) logo

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Staying in School


The research is clear: school completion is one of the best predictors of future success. Dropping out of high school can have long term negative consequences for students, personally, socially and financially. What do we know?:

 

Employment: High school dropouts are more likely to be unemployed than those who graduate. 


Income: High school graduates earn more than dropouts. 


Life expectancy: High school dropouts have a shorter life expectancy than graduates. 


Prison: High school dropouts make up a large portion of the prison population. 


Skills: High school helps you develop skills like communication, critical thinking, and time management. 

 

Here is another fact: The average graduation rate for students with disabilities–those served by IDEA–was 67.1 percent, according to the latest data. That’s 17.5 percentage points lower than the 84.6 percent rate at which all students graduated.

 

School discipline like suspension or expulsion can derail a student who was on the path to a diploma. Awareness of the laws related to suspension and expulsion for students with disabilities can help prevent these negative outcomes.

 

In this issue of RAISE The Standard, we will explore how to prevent, address, and contest school suspension, expulsion, and dropout for students with disabilities.

PERSPECTIVE

School zone traffic sign with student figures falling out of the sign shape

The Harsh Reality


In this article, Tessa Wilbanks shares her thoughts and “the harsh reality of life as a high school drop out.”


Life without a diploma is hard... My parents still are disappointed with my choice, and my sister tends to rub it in my face now. Do I regret it? Absolutely. Do I wish someone was there to stop me and maybe give me a little direction? Of course. But I can’t change it now. I know it doesn’t make me any less intelligent or reliable. Will people continue to look down on me as if I am? Probably. But it really stinks to have this label for the rest of my life.


-   Tessa Wilbanks

Click here to read Tessa’s full article..

A CLOSER LOOK

Parents with scaared looks on their faces meeting with school counselor

School Discipline Issues

School discipline is a complex issue, and there are some special protections for students with disabilities. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) describes how discipline for students with disabilities works, and what parents can do to challenge a suspension or expulsion, or other efforts at discipline. Here are the highlights:

 

Section 300.530 Authority of School Personnel describes when and how school personnel can remove or suspend a child with a disability.


Section 300.531 Determination of setting states that the child’s IEP Team determines the interim alternative educational setting for services.

 

Section 300.532 Appeal describes how a parent who disagrees with a decision about placement or manifestation determination can appeal by requesting a hearing; this has numerous deadlines and rules attached.


Section 300.533 Placement during appeals states that when an appeal is made by either the parent or district, the child must remain in the alternative setting pending the hearing officer’s decision or until a 10 or 45 day time limit depending on the situation.


Section 300.534 Protections for children not determined eligible for special education and related services states that a child who engaged in behavior that violated a code of student conduct may assert protections if the district knew that the child had a disability before the behavior, even without a formal determination; parents may request an expedited evaluation under this section as well.


Section 300.535 Referral to and action by law enforcement and judicial authorities states that districts may still report a crime committed by a child with a disability.

 

Section 300.536 Change of placement because of disciplinary removals states that a change of placement occurs if the removal is more than 10 consecutive school days or the child experienced a series of removals which constitute a pattern within one school year.

 

Section 300.537 State enforcement mechanisms states that state education agencies can use other mechanisms than the courts to seek enforcement of a mediation agreement or resolution meeting, if those mechanisms are not mandatory and do not delay the right to enforce the agreement in court.


Click here to look up the sections which interest you in the actual text of the law.


Click here to access a fact sheet produced by Peal Center. It contains a summary of discipline provisions in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, but in a simpler, bulleted format.



TOOLS THAT WORK

Student holding his forehead in his hand and grimacing as if suffering in silence.

How can teachers, parents and other adults support a student at risk of dropping out?

 

For middle school students:

  • Let the student know how important education is to their future.
  • Convey the idea that graduation from high school is an expectation.
  • Parents can set aside time every day for homework, and make sure that it is completed.
  • Talk to the student about school problems and achievements every day.
  • Praise good behavior.
  • Help the student use problem-solving skills to address difficult situations.
  • Parents can try to know their child’s friends and their families.
  • If the student is struggling, call for an IEP meeting.

 

For high school students:

  • Parents can maintain contact with the child’s teachers.
  • Parents can monitor school attendance. Skipping school can be a warning sign.
  • Help the student explore career options.
  • Emphasize the link between education and future success.
  • Encourage the student to seek out extracurricular activities.
  • Encourage the student to find a summer or part-time job, volunteer in the community, or participate in work-based learning programs at school.
  • Help the student use their IEP meetings and the transition planning process to tie the education program to future goals.
  • Keep track of the credits and classes the student needs in order to graduate.
  • Note special requirements to be accepted into a postsecondary program or be qualified for employment in a particular field.

 

Get the full information sheet here.

MAKING YOUR POINT

Female teacher having a serious conversation with a young student

Your child has just been suspended from school due to behavior. What happens next?

 

Your school district must hold an IEP meeting to decide if a student’s behaviors are “substantially related” to their disability. As a parent, you must be invited to this meeting. Here are some things you will likely discuss:

   

  • The IEP itself – is it adequate and is it being implemented?
  • Teacher observations – what is happening in the classroom and how are teachers responding?
  • Information provided by you including any outside evaluations or reports from your child's counselor for the team to review.


At this meeting, explain why you think your child behaved inappropriately and if you think it is related to his or her disability.


The IEP team will decide:


  • Was the behavior caused by or directly and substantially related to the child's disability?
  • Was the behavior a direct result of the school's failure to implement the child's IEP?


If the answer to either one of these questions is "yes," then the behavior is a manifestation of the child’s disability, and the child cannot be further disciplined for the behavior.


Click here to access a summary of the issues that come into play when a child is removed from school for disciplinary reasons, and what their rights are.


Click here to access PAVEs parent education video to learn more.



THE RSA PARENT CENTERS

There are eight (8) Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA) Parent Centers throughout the United States that provide training and programming to youth and young adults with disabilities, their families, professionals, and other Parent Centers. The focus is on issues surrounding youth transition.

 

RSA Parent Centers are funded by the Rehabilitation Service Administration (RSA) under the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS), which is part of the US Department of Education.

IFTW logo

In this issue of RAISE The Standard, we focus on Independent Futures That Work (IFTW), a joint project of parent centers across Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma, and Texas:

 

Independent Futures that Work (IFTW) is a project of the Alabama Parent Education Center in partnership with Parent Training and Information Centers from five other states. IFTW is designed to help in the successful transition of youth and young adults from high school into the next stage of adult life. They learn about supports and services needed to meet their learning, living, and working goals, become actively involved in planning for their own future, find out what supports will help them, and explore how to get those services.



YOUTH VOICE

Participant in the Youth Voices podcast, Jennifer

The RAISE Youth Advocates for Change (YAFC) have produced podcasts on topics important to them as youth with disabilities, to amplify the youth voice and support parent centers as they continue to engage with youth and their families.


Click here for episode 2, on invisible vs. visible disabilities.

SAVE THE DATE

Thursday, February 27, 2025 at 1:00 pm Eastern Standard Time


This webinar from The Arc of New Jersey will focus on interdisciplinary treatment approaches for youth with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (I/DD) and co-occurring mental health conditions. It will provide valuable strategies for professionals working across various disciplines to address the unique needs of this population, with an emphasis on interaction with the criminal justice system.


Register for the Webinar here.


View the webinar series at this link.

RESOURCES

icon with several books on a bluish green circular background

Addressing the Needs of Children with Disabilities and IDEA’s Discipline Provisions:

https://sites.ed.gov/idea/idea-files/qa-addressing-the-needs-of-children-with-disabilities-and-idea-discipline-provisions/

 

Suspensions and Expulsions of Students with Disabilities in Public Schools:

https://www.ed.gov/sites/ed/files/about/offices/list/ocr/docs/discipline-of-students-with-disabilities-part-3.pdf

 

National Dropout Prevention Center for Students with Disabilities:

https://ceedar.education.ufl.edu/portfolio/national-dropout-prevention-center-for-students-with-disabilities/

 

National School Boards Association Data on Disabilities:

https://www.nsba.org/ASBJ/2019/April/Graduation-Rates-Students-Disabilities

 

PACER Center Dropout Prevention:

https://www.pacer.org/parent/dropout-prevention/

 

Students with Learning and Attention Issues Three Times More Likely To Drop Out:

https://thejournal.com/articles/2017/05/17/students-with-learning-and-attention-issues-three-times-more-likely-to-drop-out.aspx

RAISE The Standard

Collaboration • Empowerment • Capacity-building

RAISE The Standard enewsletter identifies and shares resources that the Rehabilitation Services Administration Parent Training and Information Centers (RSA-PTI) can use and share with families.

Executive Editor:

Josie Badger

Visit our Website:

www.raisecenter.org

The RAISE Technical Assistance Center is working to advance the accessibility of its digital resources, including its websites, enewsletters and various digital documents.

* For more on SPAN Parent Advocacy Network and all of the complementary programs supported, visit spanadvocacy.org.

ABOUT RAISE

RAISE, the National Resources for Access, Independence, Self-Advocacy and Employment is a user-centered technical assistance center that understands the needs and assets of the RSA-PTIs, coordinates efforts with the Technical Assistance provided by PTI centers and involves RSA-PTIs as key advisors and partners in all product and service development and delivery.

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The RAISE Center is a project of the SPAN Parent Advocacy Network and is funded by the US Department of Education's Rehabilitation Service Administration. The contents of this resource were developed under a cooperative agreement with the US Department of Education (H235G200007)). However, the contents do not necessarily represent the policy of the Department of Education and should not assume endorsement by the federal government.

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