Graduation Rates
Indicator 1: Percent of youth with IEPs graduating from high school with a regular diploma. For current information regarding this indicator please review the APR.
The requirements for obtaining a regular diploma in Wisconsin are the same for students with disabilities and for students without disabilities. A graduate is defined as a student who has met the requirements established by a school board for a prescribed course of study.
WDPI uses student outcome data to identify gaps in graduation rates between students with disabilities and students without disabilities in local educational agencies (LEAs). Under the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB), WDPI has set a target graduation rate for all students of 98% by the 2013-2014 school year.
Wisconsin has developed an Integrated Monitoring System (IMS) to improve outcomes for children with disabilities in Wisconsin while ensuring continued procedural compliance with state and federal laws and regulations. WDPI analyzes trend data over a three-year period to identify districts for improvement. Improvement activities are targeted at continuing to improve the graduation rate for students with disabilities.
Data - District Profiles
Major Goals
- Decrease the gap in graduation rates between students with disabilities and students without disabilities.
- Decrease the dropout rate for students with disabilities.
Primary Objectives
- Promote development of positive school climates.
- Promote development of district policies and procedures that eliminate barriers to graduation for students with disabilities.
- Assist districts in understanding the relationship among qualified staff, adequate resources, and student achievement.
- Identify multiple options for student learning and school success.
School Improvement Review Checklists
These checklists are tools to help school districts determine if they have policies in place in each area for students with disabilities that impact student engagement and eventual graduation. By completing the checklists and documenting the source and location of related documents, the district is in a position to address any areas not covered that may be negatively impacting their students with disabilities.
| Instructions and Summary Card | Graduation Policy and Procedures Review Checklist |
| Suspension/Expulsion Policy and Procedures Review Checklist | Attendance/Truancy Policy and Procedures Review Checklist |
Training and Technical Assistance
- Information Update 10.08: High School Graduation and Students with Disabilities: How Students with Disabilities Meet the High School Graduation Requirements
- Graduation Summit: Resources for Preventing Dropout and Promoting Graduation
- National Post School Outcomes Center
- National Center on Secondary Education and Transition
- National Secondary Transition Technical Assistance Center
- Exiting Community of Practice
- Wisconsin State Personnel Development System
- Designing High Schools for Success
- DPI Graduation Page