Special Ed Revamp Sparks Debate

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — Gov. Bobby Jindal has signed a bill that backers say will offer special education students a new route to a high school diploma.

But, according to The Advocate, two national groups have issued a report that denounces the measure.

The key change allows a special education student's advisory team to devise an alternative way to graduation, despite how the student fares on standardized tests.

Boston-based Center for Law and Education and the Advocacy Institute in Washington, D.C. say the change gives the student's advisory team too much authority, allows them to establish low standards for students and distort Louisiana's graduation rate.

The state has about 70,000 special education students. About 29 percent earn a traditional high school diploma.