P arents recently told the Arizona State Board of Education that their special needs children are being pushed to graduate from high school before they’re ready.

While their children are meeting formal credit requirements, the parents advocated for more time in school before graduation so they could receive services to help them transition into the world of work with a better chance of succeeding.

This is not the first time concerns of this nature have been brought before the state board.

Nearly a year ago, it adopted a rule – now part of the Arizona Administrative Code – requiring that a student’s Individualized Education Program (IEP) team notify parents at least one year before the student’s anticipated graduation date.

The rule was in response to parents’ concerns about a lack of

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