Senate Bill 460 Summary

• Defines "alternate diploma" as a diploma for students with significant cognitive disabilities assessed with alternate assessments aligned to alternate academic achievement standards, which must be standards-based, aligned with Indiana's regular high school diploma requirements, and obtained within Indiana's free appropriate public education period.

• Amends the definition of "graduation" to include successful completion of academic credits and the graduation examination or waiver process, resulting in awarding of either a high school diploma or an academic honors alternate diploma.

• Modifies "graduation rate" definition to mean the percentage of students within a cohort who obtain either a high school diploma by the end of their expected graduation year or an alternate diploma within the period Indiana ensures free appropriate public education availability.

• Revises the four-year graduation rate calculation formula to reference "expected graduation year" instead of "reporting year" in Step One when determining grade 9 enrollment.

• Effective date: July 1, 2017.