The following news story may have significant and positive implications
for our deaf students. I would be very interested to hear AIDB's
interpretation of the Board of Education's decision.

Diploma allowed despite disability

Disabled students can graduate after failing exit exam

03/12/04

CHARLES J. DEAN
News staff writer


MONTGOMERY - As Robin Kervin pleaded with the Alabama Board of Education
to change eligibility requirements for a diploma, her son Ben was miles
away taking and most likely failing the reading portion of the state's
High School Graduation Exam.

Failing the reading exam would be nothing new for Ben, Kervin said. He's
failed it every time he's taken it through four years of high school in
Covington County.

Kervin told the board that Ben, like many other students, has a
disability that makes it virtually impossible for him to pass the
reading exam even though he has passed all of his other required school
work and the other sections of the exit exam.

"My child has struggled through school for 14 years," Kervin told an
attentive but subdued board. "He has been told he was not ready for some
grades and I held him back.

"A high school diploma may not mean much to many of you, but it means a
lot to him."

A half-dozen other parents, grandparents and special education teachers
and administrators followed Kervin to the microphone and told similar
stories, pleading with the board to make a rule change and allow their
disabled children and students to qualify for a diploma.

The board did in a unanimous vote.

The change in eligibility requirements will likely make hundreds, if not
several thousand, current and former students eligible for a diploma.

Under the rule change, a student with dyslexia, for example, who has not
been able to pass the reading section of the exam because of that
disability but who has met other requirements for a diploma, will now
qualify to graduate.

The student must have a disability recognized under federal law, must
have passed all required coursework and have maintained a "C" average.

The rule change will be retroactive to first-time ninth-graders in the
1997-98 school year who would have been in the graduating class of 2001.


Wilcox County special education coordinator Rosie Samburger left the
meeting smiling and headed home to tell at least four students that they
will now likely qualify for a diploma.

"It's a wonderful day and I can't wait to get back and tell my kids the
news," said Samburger.

Grandparent Bill Hix watched his granddaughter, Katie Lacey, struggle
through nine different attempts to pass the math section of the
graduation exam. Katie met all the other requirements for graduation two
years ago. Hix was overjoyed after the board's vote.

"This has been a long time coming," said Hix. "No one knows except Katie
and us what she went through. Now she will finally be able to get on
with her life. It's wonderful."




____________________________________
Steve Hamerdinger
Director, Office of Deaf Services
ALDMHMR
100 North Union, Montgomery, AL 36130
(334) 353-4701 (TTY)
(334) 242-3643 (Voice)



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