High School Graduation Rates: What We Know About Ensuring Success for Students with LD

Each student is entitled, by law, to the accommodations he or she will require to learn academic content. If a student is not provided with adequate accommodations to help him or her acquire the content, it is an issue that should be taken up with and addressed by that student’s IEP committee. In terms of assessment, accommodations that do not alter the content or otherwise impact the validity of the test are generally permissible. Most states have specific guidelines that address appropriate accommodations or modifications for assessment. They should be available from the school district’s testing coordinator or through the assessment division of the state department of education.  NCLD also offers information on accommodations for instruction and assessment.

For any at-risk student, we recommend developing a set of organized goals and instruction. Setting achievable, short-term goals as well as long-term goals helps students remain interested and motivated while keeping in mind the longer view. Instruction for these students should be well organized and relevant to the students’ goals. Keeping students engaged in school is key… Take a look at NCLD's article about engaging LD students.  See also Dr. Sandra Christiansen’s presentation about engagement.

My, that’s a loaded question! We try not to rely on what we sense in these matters… Having supporting data is preferable! Nonetheless, large-scale studies indicate that the graduation rates for students with disabilities are improving, though I am not aware of studies that directly link this improvement with early identification. Early identification and intervention are certainly critical in addressing academic and behavioral issues. And NICHD research has shown that 75% of children with learning difficulties who, if not identified and provided help by grade 3, will still have poor reading skills at the end of high school.

Both academics and behavior are significant indicators of dropout risk, so logic would suggest that addressing these beginning at an early age would ultimately improve school completion rates. However, it must be remembered that early identification alone does not necessarily equate to improved services or interventions.

There are some predictive variables associated with the probability of dropping out, including performance in reading, math, writing, as well as appropriate pro-social behaviors. In addition, we recognize that there is no single fix or magic bullet that will prevent students from dropping out of school. We would recommend an analysis of those individual factors related to academic performance, post-secondary goals, student preferences and interests. In terms of academic performance, our bottom line answer is always the use of interventions and strategies supported by strong evidence. The NCLD website has a lot of good resources for educators and parents.  Additionally, the Center for Instruction has some good resources on effective strategies for teaching reading, math, writing and other academic content. 

That is an excellent question. Although many adolescents with learning disabilities who struggle with reading require more specific and intensive instruction from reading specialists, all content-area teachers can incorporate into their content-area instruction strategies that help adolescents comprehend texts used in their classrooms. For example, teachers can employ questioning strategies that help students process text and monitor their comprehension. Teachers can also use question-answer instruction to help students construct answers from explicit and implicit information found in the text. Additionally, teachers may use graphic organizers, text structure and other strategies to help students summarize information and develop critical analysis and reasoning skills. Finally, teachers can use direct, explicit and systematic instruction to teach students to use text comprehension strategies. One systematic approach that schools can use to address this concern is to adopt and implement a continuum of literacy instruction, such as the Content Literacy Continuum (CLC). The CLC is a framework for conceptualizing literacy instruction in secondary schools (Lenz, Ehren, and Deshler, 2005). In essence, the framework offers a comprehensive literacy system to address districts’ needs for a research-based, robust content literacy application. It focuses on reducing the achievement gap and reduces dropout rates for struggling adolescent learners.

For more information, I would refer you to the following resources: 

Enhancing Outcomes for Struggling Adolescent Readers.

The Secondary Literacy Instruction and Intervention Guide: Helping School Districts Transform into systems that Produce Life-Changing Results for All Children developed by the Stupski Foundation on behalf of the National Center for Instruction 

What Content Area Teachers should know about Adolescent Literacy (2007): National Institute on Literacy

The first step in getting your son into a general education classroom is to request a meeting with his IEP team for the propose of discussing a change in placement to a less restrictive environment in the general education classroom. We recommend you put this request in writing to document it in the event that procedural safeguard proceedings are instituted at a later date.

At the meeting, be prepared to discuss your son’s strengths and needs as well as how he would benefit from increased time in a general education classroom. Particular emphasis should be placed on positioning your child to complete the core course work necessary to receive a regular-education diploma.

Graduation requirements vary from state to state, as do the diploma/school-completion options offered to students. Your child’s course of study and diploma options should be discussed with his IEP team. If you have not had these discussions, you should do so immediately.

Even if your child is in a program leading to a regular diploma, it is critical to ensure that he or she is actually on track to graduate… Ensure that the student has the appropriate number of academic credits for his or her current grade in school. For example, if a child is in a pathway leading to a regular diploma, but has only 8 or 9 credits by the end of his junior year, the likelihood that he will actually get that diploma—at least on time—is pretty slim. As a parent, you can monitor your child’s academic progress and help ensure that the appropriate strategies and supports are in place to help your child succeed in school.

First, let’s give some context about the factors leading to dropout. There are two classes of factors that contribute to students dropping out of school: “pull factors” and “push factors.” As the names suggest, pull factors are external to the school environment. They are factors that make being out of school more attractive or more imperative than being in school. Having to work to support a family, having to care for a family member who is ill or infirmed, and the lure of “easy money” from the illegal drug trade are a few examples of pull factors. Push factors, on the other hand, originate within the school and “encourage” students to drop out. Examples of push factors are behavioral or academic problems that make it difficult for a student to succeed in school, hostile school/district policies or procedures, a poor school climate, and teachers or administrators who either make it unpleasant for the student to stay in school or encourage the student to leave.

Because some special education students do not achieve at the same rate as their disabled peers, they can cause a school not to make AYP. To potentially answer your question, while it is neither legal nor desirable, some districts, in their desire to meet AYP, want to get low-achieving special education students out of the way and out of their calculations.

Raising the bar by increasing academic requirements for graduation is not uncommon in states and school districts across the country. When this happens, it must be remembered that students—particularly students with disabilities—will need additional scaffolding to help them meet these new requirements. Making graduation requirements more stringent in absence of these additional supports is not the answer to improving individual academic success or education in general. It merely penalizes students—particularly students with disabilities.

Here’s one potential option that districts may consider if their credit-accrual requirements for graduation exceed those of the state. If a student with disabilities meets the state’s credit requirements for graduation with a regular diploma, it would seem reasonable that the child should be eligible to receive a regular diploma. If the child surpassed the state requirements and met the district’s more stringent requirements, he or she could be awarded a regular diploma with distinction to recognize his or her achievement above state requirements.

We applaud your desire to ensure your son’s success! I encourage you to revisit the issue with the school Student Support Team to get his 504 plan reinstated, particularly in that you were not present during the meeting in which the plan was terminated. See NCLD's resources on 504 plans.

You got some good advice from the educational consultant. Early planning is always a good idea, as is the setting of intermediate and long-term goals. Research identifies that participation in extracurricular activities increases a student’s sense of belonging at school, thus increasing the likelihood that he or she will continue participating in school through graduation. We would encourage the audience to look at the presentation Dr. Sandra Christiensen’s delivered as a webinar for NDPC-SD in January 2008. That presentation is posted on our Web site.

This is a question you need to address with your son’s IEP team. Request the IEP team to have your son’s general education teachers incorporate these strategies for you son. Work collaboratively with other professionals to provide your son with additional help. The use of audio taping, guided notes and peer support may help him complete assignments and take tests. Technology and peer assisted learning instruction could might also be helpful.

Finally, refer to the following resources that help students get ready for reading, activate understanding during reading and summarize and reflect on the information in texts.

 Deshler, D., Hock, M., & Catts, H. (2006). Enhancing Outcomes for Struggling Adolescent Readers.

 The Secondary Literacy Instruction and Intervention Guide: Helping School Districts Transform into systems that Produce Life-Changing Results for All Children developed by the Stupski Foundation on behalf of the National Center for Instruction. 

What Content Area Teachers should know about Adolescent Literacy (2007): National Institute on Literacy

Congress, in its implementation of NCLB as related to graduation requirements, imposed a period of four years as the standard length of a high-school education. The adoption of this four-year period is in keeping with tradition in this country. In reality, however, many students—with or without disabilities—require a fifth year to complete their studies. This is becoming increasingly the case as states and districts raise their graduation requirements. Four years is not a magic number… It is our belief that neither students nor schools/districts should be penalized for students taking a fifth year of high school.

Our experience in schools has shown that some students become discouraged when they realize they will not be able to complete the required number of credits and pass required standardized test within the four-year period. Many of them become disengaged and opt for dropping out.

While many advances have been made in the use of technology within our schools, many schools are far from truly leveraging the potential of technology as an instructional tool. As such, the integration of digital tools into instruction is often sporadic. The good news is that there are several national efforts working to enhance capacity for the use of technology.  For example, U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) has funded three major technical assistance centers with emphasis on strengthening technology as an efficient instructional tool. Additional resources and information are:

NIMAS -- Which provides planning evaluation, and technical assistance to improve the delivery of accessible materials to students and teachers as well as to disseminate information and resources about the benefits and availability of accessible digital materials.

CAST -- Teaching Every Student (TES) is a rich multimedia resource for teachers where they can learn about Universal Design for Learning (UDL). UDL is a framework for creating flexible goals, methods, materials, and assessments that meet the needs of diverse learners. Using TES, teachers get practical guidance in how to apply UDL in the classroom as well as a rich understanding of its theoretical and research basis.

CITEd  -- Provides practical and convenient resources for using technology in everyday tasks.

Work on helping them see the relevance of school for the long term. Also, make sure that they have the academic skills they will need in high school—without a basic academic foundation, they will struggle with high school content, perhaps becoming disengaged and ultimately dropping out. While your school may not have a study skills curriculum per se, many of the study skills can be embedded within the context of your every-day instruction. With regards to teaching appropriate social behaviors, your school may want to consider implementing school-wide Positive Behavior Supports. PBS helps youth learn the appropriate pro-social behaviors. If your school is not using Positive Behavior Support (PBS), it may be something to consider.

Different school districts employ different methods for helping students meet graduation requirements. Some of these methods include case management, counseling and/or the employment of graduation coaches; however, for a youth with an IEP, his or her academic and other related services needs should always be guided by his or her IEP team. The IEP team, which includes the parent and the student, should serve to plan and deliver the appropriate programs, interventions and services required to assist the student in meeting graduation requirements. These should include reviewing present levels of performance; determining strengths, needs and program gaps; and identifying and arranging the delivery of specially designed instruction that will address those specific academic needs. An IEP team serving in this capacity meets the tenet and requirement of the law in planning for necessary accommodations and modifications so that the youth can progress in the general education curriculum. With input from the parents and preferably the student, this group should be responsible for determining an appropriate program of study as well as identifying supports that will help the student successfully complete school and acquire the tools he or she will need to succeed afterward.

There is a lot of discussion ongoing in the research and education communities about this issue. Research indicates that many students with disabilities, given appropriate supports and instruction, can acquire high school content and pass end-of-course and exit exams. Determining the appropriate pace and structure of instruction will be an individual call. The IEP team should be intimately involved in this process for each child. Every child who is identified eligible for special education in this country is entitled to a free and appropriate public education that will enable him or her to engage in post-secondary education, employment or independent living. If you believe that your child is not receiving the appropriate supports, you should discuss the issue with his IEP team. Further, if you believe that the district is engaging in discriminatory practices, you have the option to exercise your dispute resolution options under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).  Under a 504 Plan, you would contact the Office of Civil Rights.

The parents, student and IEP team need to develop an appropriate transition plan that will allow that student to acquire the skills and knowledge that he or she will need to succeed in life after high school. This plan should include preparation for employment and independent living as well as academic instruction. Other issues include interagency agreements, community supports and programs, and interface with rehabilitation services. NCLD has information on transition planning.

While we are not in a position to assess quality of online credit recovery programs, many schools are beginning to use these programs as an alternative for many students. It is currently unknown the extent to which students with LD are participating in these programs or the outcomes achieved.

A good starting point would be our website at the National Dropout Prevention Center for Students with Disabilities. NDPC-SD provides technical assistance to help states build capacity to design/select and implement effective, evidence-based interventions and programs to address dropout among students with disabilities. Our site has resources for state departments of education and schools/districts as well as for parents and students. The site has information about a variety of programs and interventions as well as summaries of research about school completion for youth with disabilities. You might want to subscribe to our quarterly newsletter, Big IDEAs. Another site with information about school completion for students with disabilities is the National Transition and Technical Assistance Center’s (NSTTAC) website. This center is focused on helping states build capacity in the area of secondary transition. It contains a wealth of information about transition-related issues for students with disabilities.