It shall be the policy of the Board of Education to acknowledge each student's successful completion of the instructional program 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 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. shall be entitled to participate in graduation activities as recommended by the student's I.E.P.C. Reasonable accommodation shall be made for students with disabilities, as defined under State or Federal law, to assist them in taking any required tests or assessments for graduation.

Any high school student who wishes to test-out of a course in which s/he is not enrolled may do so by taking the final examination for the course and receiving a grade of at least C+ or by demonstrating mastery of the subject matter as determined by the District assessment used in lieu of a final examination. Credit for a course earned by a student through this process may be used to fulfill a course or course-sequence requirement and be counted toward the required number of credits needed for graduation but may not be used to determine the student's GPA.

A student may be granted credit by earning a qualifying score, as determined by the Michigan Department of Education (MDE) on assessments developed or selected for the subject area by the MDE or the student earns a qualifying score, as determined by the school district on one (1) or more assessments developed or selected by the school district that measure a student's understanding of the subject area content expectations or guidelines that apply to the credit.

The student may not receive credit for a course in the same area but lower in the course sequence.

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

Commencement exercises will include only those students who have successfully completed requirements as certified by the high school principal, and those Cass Avenue Academy students using the Portable Assisted Study Sequence ("PASS") program, who have earned not less than twenty (20) credits. For all years subsequent to 2007-2008, graduates will be required to meet the Michigan Merit Curriculum credit requirements. 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, however, when personal conduct so warrants.

M.C.L.A. 380.1166,380.1278a(4)(c),  380.1278b, 380.1279
20 U.S.C. 1400 et seq. (Individuals with Disabilities Act)
29 U.S.C. 794 (Section 504 of Title V of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973)
42 U.S.C. 12131 et seq.

Revised 8/91
Revised 7/15/95
Revised 7/25/96
Revised 4/18/07
Revised 4/2/08