Advocates have been fighting for this for at least a decade. Several other states offer similar options for students with cognitive disabilities, and California already offers alternative diploma pathways for certain groups of students, such as those whose education is disrupted due to being homeless, in foster care or being a migrant.
In 2020, the state budget set aside money for a work group to study the issue and come up with recommendations. The workgroup’s report, published last fall, addresses the details, including transcripts and whether students can continue working toward their diploma after they turn 18 (they can).
The 2022 budget, passed in June, included $1 million in federal funds from the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act to bring the work group’s recommendations to reality. The new pathway could be implemented as soon as next year. Although it’s not required, the state is encouraging all districts to adopt it.
Sue Sawyer, president of the California Transition Alliance, a nonprofit that helps people with disabilities after they finish school, has been working on the issue since 2013. The primary reason for the new pathway, she said, is new research and understanding of what people with cognitive disabilities are capable of.
“Our expectations have changed. We now expect people to go to work,” Sawyer said. “It’s real simple: If you leave school without a diploma, it shuts doors. If you have a diploma, you have options. I’m excited about the future because even though we still have work to do, I think we’re on the right path.”
Joyce Clark, co-director of the Exceptional Family Resource Center in San Diego, said a pathway to a diploma won’t solve everything for students with disabilities, but it’s a crucial step toward further education, rewarding careers and higher incomes, which could lead to greater independence.