While I don’t know anything about your state. I think you need to have them put it somewhere in writing that she will be taking the necessary classes to get the Regents diploma. Right now you just have them saying she is on track and it doesn’t sound like she is.
There are 2 separate issues here: getting a regents diploma and meeting the state’s requirement for graduation
Getting a regents diploma will be based on Op’s daughter is meeting the requirements for graduation and passing the 5 required NYS exams (English,1 math, 1 social studies, 1 science and a +1 which includes one of the following:a 2nd math, science , social studies or completing the CDOS). as long as she passes these exams with a score of 65+ she will get a regents diploma.
By her daughter being a student with a disability, she has a safety net where she could graduate and obtain a local diploma( she could still attend college with a local diploma; she may have to start at a 2 year school because she may not be considered college ready. But hey, she could graduate with a regents diploma and still not met the minimum college readiness requirement of scoring at least a 70 on a common core math regents and a 75 on the common core english regents). The safety net means that if she scores a 55 on the state exams, it will be considered a passing grade. With her safety net, she must score at least a 55 on the english and the math regents (this is a non negotiable). She can pass the other regents through a combination of compensation scoring which means for every regents that she scores a 65 on she can compensate another regents and pass that regents with a score of 45 - 54 (the exception being English and math as they cannot be compensated).
Op D’s would also have the option of getting a low score appeal is she scores between a 52-54 on any regents other than English or Mathematics and she did not meet the compensation scoring requirement. Policy was just updated last month
http://www.p12.nysed.gov/ciai/gradreq/CurrentAppealFAQ.pdf
Right now Op’s issue really should be that as @compmom is saying (and ita) that her daughter is not being programmed for what she needs to graduate. This is a problem, her school is not doing things correctly and I would hate to be there if they ever got audited.
She needs on year of life science with labs that culminate in a regents; she is doing this with living environment
She needs one year of physical science with labs (current offerings earth science, chemistry, physics).
OP reached out to the reached out to the person who is in charge of the NYS high school science at the office of curriculum and instruction (post 65) and discussed not only her current science options but what her daughter is tentatively being programmed for next year. He confirmed that she is not programmed correctly and currently is not meeting the state’s requirement for science in order to graduate.
Just to reiterate concern for the experience of the original poster going to a meeting by herself. Concern for the daughter, of course, but also for the mom. A friend of mine with a son who has Down’s syndrome told me early on to have an “ammunition box,” and I was forever grateful. (Sorry for the martial reference, because it isn’t like that.) Starting from the most potent aids to advocacy, there is the option of lawyer, advocate, and also citing sources like the person in charge of science curriculum in the NYS schools, or bringing copies of e-mails from various resources. If you are angry, try not to be emotional (difficult). Start the meeting with a joke, act professional but push firmly. It is hard to change our personalities for this task but it is necessary. Knowledge builds confidence. It can help to bring a photo of the child and put it in the middle of the table. Good luck!
Too bad Sybbie can’t go with you!!!
@compmom Lol I wish sybbie719 could go with me! I did speak to the head of science requirements for NYS yesterday. He sent se some information to print out give show at the meeting. As of right now, they are not giving her the science (or math ) courses needed for graduation with a regents diploma. Thanks for the link!