The team then looks at your child’s course of study—the classes, instruction, and experiences they need while in high school to move toward their goals.
The school team will look at the classes your child takes, has taken and may need to take. This is called the course of study. In addition to this, they will look at activities that will enhance awareness, understanding and exploration of the three areas of transition.
Courses of study will either align with standard school graduation requirements or be modified within the IEP to help meet specific learning goals. In both of these situations, your child must also meet the annual IEP goals in order to graduate with a signed high school diploma. Whether the team decides to use a standard course of study or a modified course of study, all courses must be identified by school year and include a statement about how they will help your child progress towards their postsecondary goals. If a course is modified, narrative on the modifications and how they support your child’s learning must be included.
Course of study can change from year to year to reflect changes in postsecondary goals, interests and completion of courses with satisfactory grades. This adaptability helps support your child's learning goals.
This will also include a statement on graduation that explains how and when your child will exit school. This must include an anticipated year of graduation and consideration that a child with an IEP may potentially access services until they turn 21 or meet all the requirements outlined in the IEP (course of study and annual IEP goals.) Graduation is a team decision and schools may not unilaterally make the decision to “graduate” or exit a student.
Course of Study: My Checklist for the School.
Look at the transcript. Let’s look at the classes my child has already taken and the ones they are signed up for next.
- Check the "Why." Do these classes actually help my child reach their goals for after graduation? (For example: If they want to work with animals, are they taking science or animal care classes?)
- Explain "Life Skills." If my child is in a special program or "life skills" class, the school needs to write down exactly what they are learning and how it helps them reach their specific goals.
- Plan all the way to the end. The list of classes shouldn't just be for this year—it needs to go all the way to graduation (and include any "18+" programs if they stay past senior year).
- Connect the dots. There should be a clear statement in the IEP that says: "My child is taking [Class A] because it helps them reach [Goal B]."
Discuss Anticipated Graduation: Plan to ask about services through senior year and possibly into 18+ transition programming. All decisions are TEAM decisions and must be based upon progress. It is important to know that some students will need additional services past senior year. As long as a signed high school diploma is not received, they remain eligible for special education services to work towards IEP goals and academic progress.
Discuss proposed transition activities and services: Plan to discuss the activities and services that support growth and development for your child towards the Post secondary goals they have set.
Goal: I want to make sure that the courses my child is taking contributes to my child’s PSGs. Is the path clearly connected to the areas of their PSGs and written in language they will understand?