SCHOOLS MISSION

P17X’s mission is to provide students with the support and tools to help them achieve independence and success both in school and in their community.

Grades are the common language through which students, teachers, families, school leaders, field staff, and other institutions communicate about students’ learning throughout the school year. Grades provide feedback to students and families about academic progress, influence students’ motivation and engagement in their learning, inform instructional and programmatic decisions, and shape postsecondary outcomes.

CHANCELLOR’S REGULATION A-501

A comprehensive student assessment system, aligned with established State and City performance standards, will be used on an ongoing basis to measure student progress toward meeting these standards and improving classroom instruction.

ACADEMIC POLICY

Students with IEPs should, regardless of their disability:

• Have access to a rigorous academic curriculum that sets high academic standards, enabling them to fully realize their potential and graduate prepared for independent living, college, and careers.
• To the greatest extent appropriate, be taught and participate in activities with other students with and without disabilities.
• Receive special education services that are targeted to their needs and provide the appropriate level of support throughout the school day.

The High School Academic Policy Guide has been updated for the 2023-2024 school year. Full policy guide can be found at: https://infohub.nyced.org/docs/default-source/default-document-library/acpolicy-highschoolacademicpolicyguide.pdf

PERFORMANCE STANDARDS

Curricula and instruction must be aligned to the Next Generation Learning Standards in all academic disciplines and students’ grades must be based on progress toward and mastery of these standards. The Next Generation Standards for ELA and Mathematics can be found at: http://www.nysed.gov/next-generation-learning-standards.

Students who participate in NYSAA are expected to achieve alternate learning standards. These alternate standards are reduced in scope and complexity. They are intended to enable students to access NYSED learning standards but focus more closely on supporting students for post-secondary life (e.g., life and vocational skills).

SCHOOL WIDE PRACTICES IN GRADING

P17X commitment to a uniform and transparent grading policy is used to communicate to students what they have learned. Grades provide feedback to students on their individual understanding of and progression through a subject. Grades are seen and interpreted by families, teachers, administrators, and other stakeholders. When awarded in a consistent, equitable, and transparent fashion, grades serve the following purposes:

• Demonstrate individual student’s level of understanding of content and mastery of skills in a subject, as of a specific point in time
• Reveal areas of improvement and subjects still in need of support • Inform teachers’ curricular, instructional, and organizational decisions
• Identify which students need more assistance or differentiated learning
• Indicate whether a student passed or failed a particular course or subject at the end of a term
• Contribute to decisions about students’ programming choices and post-secondary options
• Influence promotion decisions and the college admissions process

GRADING PROCEDURES

• P17X has two terms. Each term has two semesters, leading to four grading periods. Marking period grades (also referred to as report card grades) are interim marks which provide status updates to students, families, and other stakeholders on the student’s proficiency of the course content at that period in time.
  • Final grades are awarded at the end of the course and represent a student’s ultimate level of proficiency in a course. Final grades that are an average of marking period grades penalize students who do not demonstrate proficiency from the beginning of the course.
• Consistent with the 2024-25 grading policy, schools may not include attendance as a factor calculated into students’ academic grades. Students will always have the opportunity to hand in work late due to absence(s).
  • Teachers have up to twenty school days to confirm/change grades. Any grades changed during this period should be accompanied by a grade change form. Grades changed after the twenty days should be accompanied by a transcript update form with the appropriate paperwork.
  • When students miss class time, teachers should give students reasonable chances to make up missed work before final grades are entered.
• When possible, teachers should offer assessments in multiple modalities to ensure that the method of expression does not interfere with a student’s demonstration of their proficiency.
  • By varying the types of assessments used over the course of the school year, schools can get a complete picture of what a student knows and understands, and how the student has progressed.
• To honor the learning process of building proficiency over time, consider weighting more recent work more heavily.
  • Weighting more recent work better reflects a student’s end-of-term proficiency of course concepts and skills. Otherwise, a student who starts off with lower skills will end with a lower grade than a student who starts off with higher skills even if the students reach the same proficiency by the end of the course.
• Research shows that using zeros or low grades as punitive measures (e.g., to “send a message”) does not motivate students. In addition to not accurately reflecting a student’s actual proficiency, it also may not have the intended impact on student performance.
• Instead of rewarding “extra credit” points, consider offering students chances to improve their proficiency and their grades via multiple assessments of a given learning goal, and offering revision/re-take opportunities.
  • Replacing extra credit with opportunities to demonstrate progress ensures that students’ grades are based on evidence of what they know and can do, rather than completion of a specific task (whether for credit or extra credit). A higher grade then indicates a higher level of proficiency, leading to a more bias-resistant and accurate grade improvement practice.

The following grades may be awarded:

Standardized Assessment Grading, Grades 9-12:
55 – This grade represents a student who attends sporadically or is a long term absence, or when the teacher does not have enough evidence from the student to show mastery of the content.
60 – This grade is used during the second marking period only.  A grade of 60 is an indication to the student, parent and guidance counselor the student should pass the semester with more effort.

4 (+/-) Performance level: Excels in Alternate Assessment State Standards
3 (+/-) Performance level: Proficient in Alternate Assessment State Standards
2 (+/-) Performance level: Some Progress made toward Alternate Assessment State Standards
1 (+/-) Performance level: No Progress yet made toward Alternate Assessment State Standards

4 (+/-) Performance level: Excels in State Standards
3 (+/-) Performance level: Proficient in State Standards
2 (+/-) Performance level: Below State Standards
1 (+/-) Performance level: Well Below State Standards

The following policies apply to specific course marks:

Course in Progress (‘NX’):

Schools must award a grade of 'NX' (Course in Progress) if a student has a documented, extreme extenuating circumstance that prevents them from completing the course in its established timeframe (for example, surgery or a death in the family). 'NX' does not have a pass/fail or a numeric equivalent. A student who receives a Course in Progress must successfully complete remaining course requirements by the end of the term following the termination of the course in order to receive a final grade and credit, as applicable. Schools must update the previously awarded ‘NX’ with the final grade via transcript update.

New or Recently Admitted Students (‘NL’):

Schools must award a grade of ‘NL’ to students who enroll in a course after it has started and may have missed assignments or assessments needed to generate a complete course grade for the given marking period. These students may be given a grade of 'NL' in STARS to indicate the student did not have the opportunity to demonstrate their understanding of the course content. 'NL' does not have a pass/fail or numeric equivalent. Students have until the end of the following term (not including summer) to complete the course. The school should create a detailed plan for the student that specifies the timeline and work necessary to earn a final grade and credits. The school will award a final grade and credit using a transcript update. Schools must update the previously awarded ‘NL’ with the final grade via transcript update.

No Show (‘NS’):

Schools have discretion in using this mark, but it is recommended that the mark be used sparingly if at all. An ‘NS’ has a numeric equivalent of 45, which is lower than the numeric equivalent of an ‘F’ (55). If schools choose to use this mark, it should be reserved for the most egregious situations where a student fails to attend a course and does not participate in any of the work from which a grade can be derived.

How courses are graded:

• Grades of 55 should be used in place of a zero. If a student does not turn in an assignment or fail a test, they should be given a 55% as the lowest mark possible.

Category	Weighting
Classwork	25%
Projects	35%
Tests / Quizzes	35%
Homework	5%

 

Tests/Quizzes 35%	Projects 35%	Classwork 25%	Homework 5%
Standards Aligned Tests Final Essays Mastery Assignments Post-Assessments Summative Assessment Final Essays Khan Academy Performance Tasks Writing Prompts	Standards Aligned Projects Presentations Enduring Issues Civics Literacy Culturally Responsive Hands-On/Sensory Based LABS	Standards Aligned Class Work Class Activities Group Work Class Discussions Socratic Seminars Pre-Assessments Essay Khan Academy	Any work assigned to take home as an extension of day’s lesson, or an assignment that supports the necessary skills the students need to be successful in your class (If it was not taught, it should not be assigned as a homework assignment)
Tests are typically a full period in length and students are given several days’ notice before a test is administered.  Quizzes are usually no more than 5-15 minutes in length and can be either a pop quiz (no notification) or announced the day before.  Usually, quizzes are based on the content being taught at that time, while a test may include questions from earlier in the year.	Projects should be completed in class.  There should be at least one major project per marking period.	Grades are based on class work handed in and graded.  Participation could be asking and answering questions, helping fellow students, going up to the board to explain a concept or question to the rest of the class. Use of formative and summative assessments	Should be used for feedback purposes, reinforcing skills/content students learned in class.

 

Report Cards

Report cards are created after both semesters and progress reports after each marking period. Students and parents may also view report card grades online (NYCSA) and these are posted within five days of the last day of the marking period.

Grades on Transcripts

It is the third marking period grade which appears on the students’ transcript. All grades are averaged into the students’ GPA with the exception of physical education. Health is included in the GPA.

Teachers Grade Book

Teachers must maintain a gradebook and keep these records for a minimum of three years. To help facilitate this, P17X teachers have created google classrooms as an access to an online gradebook.

MAKE-UP DAYS AND CREDIT RECOVERY

Each course will allow for two make-up days per marking period. This time will be used to allow students to either make up coursework they are missing or allow students to revise coursework they have already submitted for a better grade. Ideally, one make-up day will take place in the middle of the marking period and one closer to the end of the marking period. These should be communicated to students and families in advance. Outreach should be completed for students who need time for make-up to ensure they come to school on make-up days and/or have access to the work.

Students have the following options for making up failed course credits:

1. Retake the course: This option is best for students who have missed significant amounts of class time or have not yet met the learning outcomes of a large portion of the subject matter and can benefit from retaking the entire course again. These students can make up the course in another term during the school year or in summer school. While a student is retaking the course, the team should consider what obstacles the student had to passing the course the first time and how they may support the student differently to help them earn credit.
2. Take credit recovery: Students who previously failed a course and meet specific eligibility criteria can make up credit through credit recovery. Credit recovery is a targeted experience, specifically for students who attended most of a failed course and demonstrated proficiency in the majority of the content. In this option, the student does not retake the full course, but works with a teacher to receive instruction only in the portion of original course content in need of proficiency. After receiving instruction in and demonstrating proficiency of the remaining content of the originally failed course, the student may earn credit.
3. NX and NL Grades can be reconciled through a standards aligned project/portfolio. This assignment will be determined based on the content area missed. Students must successfully complete remaining course requirements by the end of the next term to receive a final grade and credit, if applicable. If the following term is a summer, and the school is not open or the student is not available for summer school, the student will have until the end of the subsequent term to complete the outstanding course work.

Making Up Work

When students miss class time, teachers should give students reasonable chances to make up missed work before final grades are entered in STARS

Allowing students to re-do assignments emphasizes to them that they have control over their learning. Depending on the assignment type, this might mean revising the work, completing the work in a different way, or a new assessment specifically targeted at areas where the student did not initially demonstrate proficiency. Consider including time for revisions in the course of the day so all students have equal access to this opportunity.

If students are re-assessed, consider which assessment (or which parts of each assessment) most accurately represents the student’s eventual proficiency. Rather than just averaging the two assessments, replacing the score or parts of the score is a more valid measurement of student achievement.

If a student returns from an extended absence, the following must occur:

• On the same day the student returns, the school must develop a transition plan, which may include discussing the student’s progress toward graduation and postsecondary goals, diagnosing the student’s academic proficiency, informing the student’s teachers of the student’s current program, and providing the student with information about school systems and structures. For any remaining time in the school day, the school must provide the student with academic instruction in alignment with their needs.
• By the following morning, the school must provide the student with a full academic program. To create this program, the school should review and adjust the student’s most recent academic program to ensure that it will support the student in progressing toward graduation and college and career readiness. Where needed, the school should modify the program to provide opportunities for academic intervention and recovery.

AIS AND RTI

Students identified on screeners as in danger of, or not meeting standards in both alternate assessment and standardized assessment in K-12 are to be provided with academic intervention services following a response to intervention tiered system.

ASSESSMENTS

• Students in grades 3-8 participate in NYSED ELA and Math tests each year
• Students in grades 5 and 8 participate in NYSED science test
• Alternate Assessment students in grades K-8 participate in NYSAA (New York State Alternate Assessment)
• Recently arrived Ells, who have attended school in the US for less than one year as of April 1 of the year in which the NYSED ELA exam is administered may be eligible for one, and only one, expemtion from the administration of NYSED ELA exam in grades 3-8 and will take NYSESLAT

Testing accommodations remove barriers to the test-taking process so that students with disabilities and English Language Learners (ELLs) can demonstrate their knowledge and skills.

Testing accommodations do not reduce expectations for learning and are neither intended nor permitted to:

• Change the skills or content being measured or invalidate the results.
• Provide an unfair advantage.
• Substitute for knowledge or abilities that the student has not attained.

Standardized Assessment Grades 9-12

In addition to fulfilling course credit requirements, students must pass specific culminating assessments, typically Regents exams, in order to meet graduation requirements. Students must pass New York State Regents exams or other NYSED-approved alternatives in English language arts (ELA), social studies, mathematics, and science in order to earn a diploma. See this table for a brief description of the exam requirements by diploma type.

The minimum passing scores vary according to the diploma type and student eligibility criteria; in some cases, students can appeal to graduate with lower exam scores or, in limited circumstances, waive specific assessment requirements. Schools must accurately reflect all appeals and waived exams on transcripts prior to graduation. Other assessments not required for graduation are described in this section as well; these include the NYSITELL and NYSESLAT.

All attempted Regents exams and all NYSED-approved alternatives must appear on the STARS transcript. It must be evident on each and every graduate’s transcript that the student passed five exams, including at least one exam in ELA, math, science, social studies, and the +1 option. However, students fulfill the requirement in a variety of ways. In some cases, students do not pass all five exams, but they do meet the requirement via appeals (indicated with ‘WG’ marks), waived exams (indicated with ‘WA’ marks), and/or NYSED-approved alternatives (indicated with ‘WX’ marks). Schools must clearly document all five exams being used to meet graduation requirements on the transcript

Alternate Assessment

In accordance with Federal and State regulations, students in high school in New York participate in Regents exams. NYSAA is an alternate assessment to measure progress and performance in ELA, math, and science for students with severe cognitive disabilities who are unable to participate in standard assessments, even with testing accommodations. Annually, IEP teams determine the eligibility of students with disabilities who have IEPs to participate in standard or alternate assessments. The IEP team determines this eligibility on a case-by-case basis.

Students who are eligible for alternate assessments “have limited cognitive abilities combined with behavioral and/or physical limitations and who require highly specialized education and/or social, psychological, and medical services in order to maximize their full potential for useful and meaningful participation in society and for self-fulfillment.”

Eligibility for participation in alternate assessments is not determined by disability classification. IEP teams must carefully consider this decision, as participating in alternate assessments rather than standard State assessments has long-term implications for students and their families.

In high school, students who participate in alternate assessments in lieu of Regents exams for one or more subjects are not eligible to earn an NYS high school diploma; they instead earn the Skills and Achievement Commencement Credential. IEP teams must explain the eligibility for a credential instead of a diploma to the family of a student recommended to participate in NYSAA when the student begins high school. Schools administer the NYSAA to students according to their chronological age and against grade-level standards set by NYSED.62 The ELA, math, and science NYSAA exams are computer-delivered adaptive assessments.

These measures of achievement:

• Provide eligible students with an alternative way to demonstrate their knowledge and skills.
• Measure students’ progress towards achieving academic goals.
• Support teachers and specialists in adapting instructional strategies and supports.
• Are used by schools as part of their usual classroom assessment practices.

Transition

The NYCDOE’s goal is to prepare all students for postsecondary college and career readiness, and for students to exit high school with the highest diploma option possible. High expectations, rigorous instruction, access to effective teaching practices, and quality IEPs with deliberately planned transition services help to ensure that each student with a disability is prepared for post-secondary college, career, and/or independent living.

NYSED specifies the requirements for determining and documenting postsecondary transition plans for students with disabilities, beginning no later than the first IEP to be in effect the year the student turns 15, and updated annually as needed. Transition services are formalized plans documented in each student’s IEP for continuing education, vocational training, employment, adult services, independent living and/or community participation, and are aligned to postsecondary goals reflective of student needs, abilities, and interests.

Specific requirements include:

• Evidence of age-appropriate transition assessments which identify areas of strength, preference, and areas of need as they pertain to education, training, employment and, where appropriate, independent living skills

• A statement of the student’s needs, taking into account the student’s strengths, preferences and interests, as they relate to transition from school to post-school activities
• Appropriate measurable postsecondary goals relating to education, training, employment and, where appropriate, independent living skills
• A statement of the transition service needs of the student that focuses on the student’s courses of study, including the diploma objective toward which the student is working
• Transition activities that facilitate movement from school to post-school activities, including instruction, related services, community experiences, the development of a statement of the responsibilities of the school district and, when applicable, participating agencies for the provision of such services and activities that promote movement from school to post-school life.

Before students with IEPs exit, schools must also provide them an exit summary. The exit summary serves as a statement of their academic achievement and functional performance, including recommendations on how to assist the student in meeting postsecondary goals once they leave high school. Schools must provide this summary regardless of whether a student’s eligibility for special education services terminates due to graduation from secondary school with a diploma or due to exceeding the age eligibility for a Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE).

Students may exit school with an advanced Regents, Regents, or local diploma, the Career Development and Occupational Studies (CDOS) Commencement Credential, or the Skills and Achievement Commencement Credential. For detailed information around transition planning, schools should refer to the Guide to Transition Planning for Students with Disabilities. employment and other post-school adult living objectives.

Promotion in Doubt

Chancellor’s Regulation A-501 specifies promotion standards for all NYCDOE students. Promotion decisions for students in grades 9–12 are based on credit accumulation and passing of Regents exams. Through the promotion in doubt (PID) process, schools formally notify families through promotion in doubt letters that their student is at risk of not meeting promotion standards and being retained in the same grade for the upcoming school year. This mid-year notification, which occurs in January and February, enables schools and families to plan for the needed supports and interventions to help students achieve promotion standards by June.

• Grade 9: Successful completion of standards in academic subject areas and 8 credits
• Grade 10: Successful completion of standards in academic subject areas and 20 credits (4 in ELA and 4 in SS)
• Grade 11: Successful completion of standards in academic subject areas and 30 credits
• Grade 12: Successful completion of standards in academic subject areas and 44 credits in required subject areas

Tracking Progress toward Graduation

It is important for school leaders, counselors, and other staff to examine data and students’ transcripts to determine which students are on track to graduate this term or year, which students may need extra support to graduate this term or year, and which students may need further conversations about their graduation timeline. It is critical to determine which category applies to each student.

College and Career Advising and Awareness

All students must have access to ongoing, personalized college and career advising

GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS NYSED

establishes the requirements for earning a high school diploma in New York State. There are three diplomas offered in New York City and State: advanced Regents, Regents, and local diplomas. All of these diplomas are valid within and outside the State. Students can use these wherever a high school diploma is required.

To earn a high school diploma, students are required to:

• Earn 44 credits, distributed across specific subjects
• Pass assessments (REGENTS) in the subjects of English language arts (ELA), math, social studies, and science

Minimum Credits

• - Students must earn 44 credits across specific subjects
• - Some trasfer students entering in grade 11 and 12 are exempy from four global history and gegraphy , but must earn 8 social studies credits
• - Students whose IEPS indicate a disability that affects their ability to elarn a language are not required to take World Language credits. World Language credits are replaced with elective courses

Assessments

Students must pass at least five assessments (Regents exams or NYSED-approved alternatives to graduate. This includes one assessment in English language arts (ELA), math, social studies, and science, and a +1 pathway option. Students fulfill the requirement in a variety of ways.

• Students with IEPs are not required to take a World Language Exam
• Students may use NYSED-approved alternatives (indicated with ‘WX’ marks) to fulfill the +1 option or replace a required Regents exam
• All five exams used to meet graduation requirements (including waived exams, appealed exams, and NYSED approved alternatives) must be clearly documented on the transcript

Appeals to Graduate with Low Scores on Regents Exams

In some cases, students do not pass all five exams and are able to meet the requirement via low score appeals (indicated with ‘WG’ marks) and/or waived exams (indicated with ‘WA’ marks). NYSED allows a student who has met specific eligibility requirements to appeal to graduate with a lower score on Regents exams and receive a diploma.

To be eligible for the Low Score, New Arrival ELA, and Safety Net appeals, students must have:

• Taken the exam(s) under appeal at least two times
• Scored within the point range on the exam(s) under appeal
• Earned or be on track to earn a passing grade in all courses required for graduation in the subject area of the exam under appeal
• Been provided academic intervention services in the subject area of the exam under appeal
• Been approved by a school committee for the exam under appeal; a letter of recommendation is no longer required for low score Regents appeals

Safety Net Flexibilities

1. Students with diabilities, like all studfents, should be encouraged to pursue the most rigorous diploma option available and to achieve high scores on Regents exams when possible. The safety net provides additional flexibilities to support students with disabilities in earning a diploma.  

   a) Safety Net Appeal: Safety Net-eligible students may earn a local diploma by appealing a score of 52–54 on up to two of the required Regents examinations, provided that they pass the remaining Regents exams with a score of 55 or above and meet the additional criteria.

   b) Compensatory Score Option: The compensatory score option allows eligible students to earn a local diploma with one or two Regents exam scores of 45-54 by compensating each low score with a score of 65 or higher on another required Regents exam. To be eligible for the compensatory score option, students must:

   i) Be Safety Net eligible

   ii) Earn a score of 55 or higher on the ELA and a math Regents exam

   ii) Earn or be on track to earning a passing grade in all courses required for graduation in the subject area of the exam being compensated

   iv) Have satisfactory attendance rate, as defined by their school

   c) Superintendent Determination of Graduation: Superintendents may award the local diploma to students with current, active IEPs who do not meet graduation assessment requirements through the existing Safety Net options (such as the compensatory score option or Safety Net appeal). To be eligible for the superintendent’s determination of graduation, students must:

   i) Have written consent from a parent or guardian

   ii) Have a current Individualized Education Program (IEP) and actively be receiving special education services and/or related services

   iii) Be enrolled in their fourth year of high school or beyond

   iv) Have earned all credits required for graduation

   v) Have met exam requirements for English Language Arts (ELA) and math by:

1.  Earning scores of 55 or higher on the ELA and/or one math Regents exam(s), or
2.  Earning appealable scores of 52–54 on the ELA and/or math Regents exam(s), or
3.  Earning Regents waivers due to COVID-19 for the ELA and/or math Regents exam(s), or
4. Since January 2018, students who are unable to earn scores of 55+ or appealable scores of 52– 54 on the ELA and/or math Regents exams can complete the requirements for the Career Development and Occupational Studies (CDOS) commencement credential.

 

vi) Have attempted all Regents exams required for graduation (ELA, math, social studies, science and +1 option)

vii) Have demonstrated proficiency of content in the subject areas of the failed the Regents exams, including, but not limited to having final passing grades in the subject areas.

d) Regents Exam Waivers

i) Students transferring to a NYS regisdtered HS: Students who enter a New York State registered high school for the first time in grade 11 or 12, or who reenter a New York State registered high school in grade 11 or 12 after having been enrolled in a New York State registered high school for three or fewer semesters, 38 may be exempted from certain Regents exam and distribution requirements

ii) Cancelled Regents Administrations: The New York State Education Department (NYSED) cancelled the administration of Regents exams scheduled for June 2020, August 2020, January 2021, and August 2021, January 2022, as well as most exams in June 2021 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

c) Performance Based Assessment Tasks (PBATs) in Lieu of Regents Exams: All students must earn required course credits in specific subjects and must pass specific assessments to meet diploma requirements. Specific schools within the NYCDOE have permission to use performance-based assessment tasks (PBATs) in lieu of certain Regents examinations. Students enrolled in schools that administer PBATs are still required to pass the ELA Regents exam, and, depending on the school, any math Regents exam. Students must also earn credits in the specific subject areas required for graduation regardless of whether or not they are required to pass Regents assessments, NYSED-approved alternatives, or PBATs in that subject area.

Diploma Endorsements

• Arts Endorsement
• Seal of Biliteracy
• Career and Techincal Educational Endoresement
• Career Development and Occupational Studies (CDOS) Endorsement
• Seal of Civic Readiness
• Honors Designation
• Mastery in Math Designation
• Mastery in Science Designation
• Service Seal

Non-Diploma Credentials

• Career Development and Occupational Studies (CDOS) Ciommencement Credential

• The CDOS commencement credential is not equivalent to a high school diploma. All students, including students with disabilities, must receive the opportunities and support needed to earn a high school diploma. Unlike a diploma, the CDOS credential does not require students to earn credits or pass exams. As a standalone credential earned in place of a high school diploma, the CDOS does not guarantee employment where a diploma is required and does not qualify students to enter the military or enter many post-secondary institutions. For these reasons, schools should offer students CDOS-aligned work-based learning and CTE experiences alongside the academic coursework required for a diploma.
• Students who earn the CDOS credential without earning a high school diploma must receive written assurance of their right to return to high school and work towards earning a diploma. Students remain eligible through the end of the full school year in which they turn 21, or until they have earned a diploma, whichever comes first.

• Skills and Achievement Commencement Credential

• The Skills and Achievement credential can only be awarded to students with IEPs who participate in the New York State Alternate Assessment (NYSAA) in place of standardized assessments; it is the sole exiting credential available to NYSAA-eligible students. 42 Students who earn this credential must receive written assurance of their eligibility to stay in high school through the school year in which they turn 21. The Skills and Achievement commencement credential should be awarded in alignment with the transition planning process for students with IEPs