A planned exit is the final transition activity. The IEP Team connects the diploma pathway, credits, and transition goals to the student's exit date, and the student leaves with a Summary of Academic Achievement and Functional Performance (SAAFP) that supports self-advocacy in adult settings.

• 34 CFR §300.305(e)(3), summary of performance  https://sites.ed.gov/idea/regs/b/d/300.305 

• 34 CFR §300.102(a)(3), graduation with a regular high school diploma https://sites.ed.gov/idea/regs/b/b/300.102 

• 34 CFR §300.320(b), transition services through the end of eligibility  https://sites.ed.gov/idea/regs/b/d/300.320 

• Alabama Administrative Code, Rule 290-8-9-.05, including the end of agency responsibility upon receipt of an Alabama High School Diploma or exceeding the age of eligibility for FAPE

Confirm the pathway before the final year.  The 9-12 transition pages document the anticipated date of exit, the selected pathway to the Alabama High School Diploma, program credits, and electives. Check each spring that the student's earned credits still match the documented pathway, and convene the IEP Team if the plan needs to change.

The SAAFP.  The Summary of Academic Achievement and Functional Performance summarizes the student's academic and functional performance tied to the postsecondary goals, along with effective accommodations and recommendations. It gives the student a document to carry into higher education, training, employment, or adult services. Complete it with input from the special education teacher, general education teachers, career/technical representatives, related service providers, family, and, importantly, the student. The student's own account of his or her achievements and needs is part of the document.

Timing and distribution.  Complete the SAAFP before the student exits, provide a copy to the student, and retain one in the record. A graduation exit ends FAPE eligibility for students who graduate with a regular high school diploma; make sure the family understands the implications before the exit meeting.

Connect the SAAFP to what comes next.  Where the student will request accommodations (college disability services, employer, adult services), help the student understand how to use the summary to self-advocate. Provide agency contact information for post-school follow-up.

• Verify credits against the documented diploma pathway before the final year.

• Draft the SAAFP with student input before the exit date.

• Provide a copy to the student and retain one in the file.

• Confirm the family understands the effect of graduation on eligibility.

• SAAFP completed after the student exits, or left blank for graduates

• SAAFP completed without student input

• Credits earned not matching the documented pathway, discovered too late to adjust

• No plan for how the student will use the summary in adult settings

SES Policies and Procedures  https://www.alabamaachieves.org/special-education/policies-and-procedures/: Mastering the Maze, Summary of Academic Achievement and Functional Performance SAAFP  form and guidance. See also Graduation Requirements https://www.alabamaachieves.org/graduation-requirements/.