Yes. The graduation requirements for students served by special education, found in Texas Administrative Code (TAC) ยง89.1070,
were revised effective March 14, 2021. There are several important changes to review. For example, subsection (b) now includes three options for students to earn a diploma through the Foundation High School Program.
The revisions to subsection (c) reflect the changes from HB165, which allow a student that has completed the required courses and credits on the Foundation High School Program, including additional credits in math, science, electives, and the courses required for the endorsement with or without modifications* to the curriculum, to earn an endorsement beginning in the 2019-2020 school year.
*When an ARD committee determines that modifications to the curriculum are required, the ARD committee must also ensure that the curriculum remains sufficiently rigorous in order for the student to retain eligibility for an endorsement.
Additionally, TAC 89.1070 includes revisions that allow the student's ARD committee to determine whether the student is required to achieve satisfactory performance on an end-of-course assessment to earn an endorsement on the student's transcript.
For more information about the updated graduation requirements, contact your regional ESC specialist. Region 13 ESC specialist, Elizabeth Danner, has also created a short video on the changes you can view here.
