Mechanicsburg Exempted Village School District
Bylaws & Policies
 

5464 - EARLY HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION

The Board of Education acknowledges that some students seek to pursue educational goals that include graduation from high school at an earlier date than their designated class.

A student who completes the requirements for early high school graduation may participate in the graduation ceremonies with his/her designated class or the class graduating in the year in which s/he completes the District's requirements for high school graduation.

Early High School Graduation - General

Application for early high school graduation must be submitted to the high school principal.

The principal may honor this request if all conditions for high school graduation are met and the student fulfills the high school graduation requirements.

Early High School Graduation – Advanced Learners

Any student residing in the District may be referred for early high school graduation by a staff member or parent/guardian to the principal of his/her school. Students may refer themselves or a peer through a staff member who has knowledge of the referred child's abilities. Copies of referral forms will be available at each school building.

Students referred for early high school graduation will be evaluated in a prompt manner. The building principal will schedule the evaluations. Normally, changes in a student's schedule will only occur at the start of a semester.

Before a student is evaluated for early high school graduation, the principal (or his/her designee) must obtain written permission from the student's parent/guardian.

Evaluations related to referrals that occur during the school year will ordinarily be completed and a written report issued within forty-five (45) calendar days. Evaluations related to referrals that occur at the end of a school year or during the summer will be completed and a written report issued either before the end of the school year, if possible, or within forty-five (45) calendar days of the start of the next school year.

Upon referral, the student's principal (or his/her designee) shall convene an acceleration evaluation committee to determine the appropriateness of early high school graduation for the student. The committee shall include the following:

 A.a parent/legal guardian of the referred student

 B.a gifted education coordinator or gifted intervention specialist, or, if neither is available, a school psychologist or guidance counselor with expertise in early high school graduation

 C.a principal or assistant principal from the student's current school

 D.a current teacher of the referred student

The acceleration evaluation committee shall be responsible for conducting a fair and thorough evaluation of the student.

Students referred for early high school graduation shall be evaluated based on past academic performance, measures of achievement based on State academic content standards, and successful completion of State mandated graduation requirements. The acceleration evaluation committee will consider the student's own thoughts on possible accelerated placement in its deliberations.

The acceleration evaluation committee shall issue a written decision on the outcome of the evaluation process to the principal and the student's parent/guardian. This notification shall include instructions for appealing the decision.

Appeals must be made in writing to the Superintendent within thirty (30) calendar days of the parent/guardian receiving the committee's decision. The Superintendent or his/her designee shall review the appeal and notify the parent/guardian of his/her final decision within thirty (30) calendar days of receiving the appeal. The Superintendent or his/her designee's decision shall be final.

If the student is recommended for early high school graduation, the acceleration evaluation committee will develop a written acceleration plan designed to allow the student to complete high school graduation requirements on an accelerated basis. The plan may include the provision of educational options in accordance with A.C. 3301-35-06(G), waiving District graduation requirements that exceed those by the State, and early promotion to sophomore (or higher) status to allow the student to take the Ohio Graduation Test.

A staff member will be assigned to oversee implementation of the written acceleration plan and to monitor the adjustment of the student to the accelerated setting.

R.C. 3324.10