It shall be the policy of the Board of Education to acknowledge each student's successful completion of the instructional program or a personal curriculum appropriate to the achievement of District goals and objectives as well as personal proficiency, by the awarding of a diploma at graduation ceremonies.

The Board shall award a regular high school diploma to every student enrolled in this District who meets the requirements of graduation established by this Board, the Michigan Department of Education (MDE), and as provided by State law.

Special education students who properly complete the programs specified in their I.E.P., or in a personal curriculum, and meet the requirements for a high school diploma, and have received the recommendation of the I.E.P.C. may participate in graduation activities as recommended by the student's I.E.P.C. Reasonable accommodation shall be made for students with disabilities, under Section 504 as defined under State or Federal law, to assist them in taking the Michigan Merit Exam and other any required tests or assessments for graduation.

The Board shall grant credit to any high school student who has exhibited a reasonable level of mastery of the subject matter of the course, regardless of enrollment in the course. Mastery includes achieving C+ or better in the final exam for the course, or, if there is no final exam, through the basic assessment used for the course, which may consist of a portfolio, paper, project, presentation or other established means.

Credit earned through mastery without enrollment in the course shall be based on a "pass" grade and shall not be included in the computation of grade point average for any purpose. Such credit shall be counted toward graduation. Mastery credits shall be counted toward any subject area requirement and any course sequence requirement. Once mastery credit is earned in a subject area, a student may not receive further credit for a lower sequence course in the same subject area.

A high school student shall be granted credit in any foreign language not offered by the District providing the student meets the competency criteria established by the Superintendent.

Commencement exercises will include only those students who have successfully completed requirements for graduation as certified by the high school principal. No student who has completed the requirements for graduation shall be denied a diploma as a disciplinary measure. A student may be denied participation in the ceremony of graduation when personal conduct so warrants.

M.C.L.A. 380.1166, 380.1278a(1), 380.1278a(2), 380.1278a(4)(c), 380.1278b
M.C.L.A. 380.1279
20 U.S.C. 1400 et seq.
20 U.S.C. 1401 et seq.
29 U.S.C. 794
42 U.S.C. 12131 et seq.

Revised 1/15/01
Revised 3/19/07
Revised 3/17/08
Revised 8/18/08