Under a newly passed Wyoming law, special education students who would normally not meet the requirements of a diploma but do complete their education, will now receive a certificate of completion upon their graduation at the age of 21.

However, the new law, which is an amendment to the duties of the state board of education, will still count these students as non-completers in graduate data, the opposite of what some had originally hoped. The law goes into effect July 1.

In Wyoming, some special education students are not counted in graduation percentages because their individualized education plan (IEP) does not align with diploma requirements. This means that students who successfully complete their IEP are not reflected in state statistics as graduates. In Park County School District 1 less than 1% of the graduating class will be receiving a certificate of completion. In the entire district 6% of Individuals with Disabilities Education Act students are on track to receive a certificate of completion based on their IEP. The other 94% are expected to be able to earn a diploma.

In its October and November school board meetings the Park County School District 1 board briefly discussed the concept of an alternative diploma for special education at the time this was a proposed delegate assembly item submitted to the Wyoming School Board Association by Sheridan School District 1; it was later approved and added to the advocacy agenda for this year’s legislative session.

Superintendent Jay Curtis and Special Services Director Ginger Sleep supported the idea of an alternative diploma.

“The rub is that someone who spends a large amount of time in school working very hard to meet their goals is calculated as a dropout,” Curtis said during the Nov. 8 board meeting.

Sleep said the district has been giving its special education students certificates of completion for many years because “it’s important to recognize our students’ efforts for working towards their IEPs.”

Curtis said while the finalized bill did not include wording to count these students as graduates, he is encouraged by the progress.

“I’m encouraged and hopeful that this might actually help us,” Curtis said. “Even if this bill doesn’t get it done, it at least shined light on an issue that needed some light shined on it.”