• IKFC: Graduation Plans and Students at Risk of Not Qualifying for a High School Diploma

    Policy

    The Board desires that all students earn a high school diploma. However, recognizing students may be at risk of not earning a high school diploma, the Board adopts the following policy.


    Graduation Plans

    The District develops a graduation plan for each student enrolled in grades 9 through 12 to address the student’s academic pathway to meet the curriculum requirements specified by the District and to satisfy the applicable graduation requirements.

    The plan is developed jointly by the student and a representative of the District and updated each school year until the student qualifies for a high school diploma. The District invites the student’s parent or guardian to assist in developing and updating the graduation plan.

    Graduation plans supplement the provisions of Board Policy IJA (Career Advising).

    A student’s individualized education plan (IEP) may be used instead of a graduation plan when the IEP contains academic goals substantively similar to a graduation plan.


    At-Risk Students

    The Board directs the Chief Executive Officer or designee to develop criteria for identifying students at risk of not qualifying for a high school diploma. These criteria, at a minimum, include a student’s lack of progress on the graduation plan developed by the District under law. The criteria also may include other factors such as student absences or misconduct and other factors deemed appropriate by the administration.

    The Board directs the Chief Executive Officer or designee to develop procedures for identifying at-risk students. These procedures must include a method for determining if a student is not making adequate progress in meeting the terms of the student’s graduation plan. Procedures must allow for identification of students as at risk in any of grades 9 through 12 and may include identification of students in other grades.

    The District provides written notice to the parent or guardian of an at-risk student each year they are at risk. This written notice includes all of the following:

    • A statement that the student is at risk of not qualifying for a high school diploma
    • A description of the School District’s curriculum requirements, or the student’s IEP, and, as appropriate, the applicable graduation conditions of State law
    • A description of any additional instructional or support services available to the at-risk student through the School District

    The District assists students at risk of not graduating with additional instructional or support services to help the student qualify for a high school diploma. These services may include any of the following:

    • Mentoring programs
    • Tutoring programs
    • High school credit through demonstrations of subject area competency
    • Adjusted curriculum options
    • Career-technical programs
    • Mental health services
    • Physical health care services
    • Family engagement and support services.


    History

    • Adopted: October 4, 2001
    • Amended: May 26, 2009; September 22, 2020, March 29, 2022


    Legal References