CDOS Credential and Skills and Achievement Commencement Credential in New York

Why the Credential Pathway Matters for Transition Planning

Not every student with a disability in New York is on track for a Regents or Local diploma. For students with significant intellectual or developmental disabilities, the Committee on Special Education identifies an alternative credential pathway — the Career Development and Occupational Studies (CDOS) Commencement Credential or the Skills and Achievement Commencement Credential (SACC).

The credential choice has a direct and often underappreciated effect on the student's entire transition timeline. A student who earns a regular high school diploma — Regents or Local — immediately loses their entitlement to a Free Appropriate Public Education. School services end the day they graduate, regardless of age. A student who earns a CDOS or SACC credential does not lose their FAPE entitlement, allowing them to remain in school and receive special education services until the day before their 22nd birthday.

This distinction creates a strategic planning opportunity that many families miss.

The CDOS Commencement Credential

The CDOS credential is designed for students who have completed career-readiness instruction and demonstrated workplace competencies through structured experiences. The requirements include:

• Completion of a Career Plan documenting career interests, goals, and experiences
• At least 216 hours of career and technical education instruction (CTE) and/or work-based learning experiences
• Demonstration of the CDOS Learning Standards at the commencement level
• A faculty committee recommendation based on the student's career readiness

Students earning a CDOS credential participate in real work settings — internships, job shadowing, supported employment placements, community-based work experiences — as part of their IEP transition goals. The credential reflects demonstrated work readiness, not academic course completion.

The CDOS credential can be awarded alongside a regular diploma (as an endorsement) or as a standalone exiting credential. When awarded as a standalone credential, FAPE eligibility continues until age 22.

The Skills and Achievement Commencement Credential (SACC)

The SACC is for students with the most significant cognitive disabilities — typically students who have been assessed using the New York State Alternate Assessment rather than standard Regents exams. To earn a SACC, the student must:

• Be assessed on New York State alternate achievement standards (typically via the New York State Alternate Assessment)
• Demonstrate progress toward their IEP goals across all required learning areas
• Have a comprehensive transition plan addressing post-school outcomes

The SACC recognizes meaningful learning and skill development, even when a student's achievements look different from their peers. Like the CDOS credential, earning a SACC does not terminate FAPE.

Staying in School Until 22: The Strategic Value

For families navigating the transition to OPWDD, Medicaid, and SSI, the extended school timeline is not just a safety net — it is a planning runway.

OPWDD pipeline. The OPWDD Front Door process, CCO enrollment, CAS assessment, and service authorization can take 12 to 24 months. Starting this pipeline at age 16 or 17, while the student has six years of school remaining, means the authorization and provider-matching process can complete before school ends. Starting at 20 means the student may age out before adult services are in place — the transition cliff.

Section 301 protection. If the student's SSI is discontinued during the age-18 redetermination, Section 301 of the Social Security Act allows benefits to continue as long as the student is actively participating in an approved vocational or educational program. An active IEP qualifies. For students with a CDOS or SACC credential, the IEP remains active until 22, maintaining Section 301 protection for years longer than a student who graduates with a diploma at 18 or 19.

ACCES-VR coordination. Pre-Employment Transition Services and full vocational rehabilitation services can run concurrently with school. Students remaining until 22 can develop work skills through school-based CTE programs while simultaneously building an Individualized Plan for Employment with ACCES-VR, creating a seamless transition from school-based to agency-based employment support.

Medicaid and SSI stability. The extended school timeline gives families more time to resolve SSI redetermination appeals, establish adult Medicaid enrollment, and set up financial protections like ABLE accounts and special needs trusts.

What the Credential Does Not Do

A CDOS or SACC credential is not a high school diploma for purposes of college admission, employer diploma requirements, or military service. Students and families should understand this distinction clearly during CSE meetings.

However, many employers and vocational programs accept the CDOS credential as evidence of work readiness. The credential's work-based learning components — hours of actual job experience, employer evaluations, demonstrated workplace competencies — often carry more weight with employers than a transcript of academic courses.

Making the Credential Decision

The CSE determines the appropriate credential pathway based on the student's IEP goals, assessment data, and post-school plans. Parents should be active participants in this decision:

• If the student is on track for a Regents or Local diploma and wants to pursue college or a career that requires a diploma, the regular diploma pathway makes sense — but the family must understand that graduation terminates FAPE immediately.
• If the student would benefit from extended school services, work-based learning, and the additional transition planning time that remaining in school until 22 provides, a CDOS or SACC pathway preserves those options.
• If the family is unsure, the CDOS credential can be awarded alongside academic coursework, keeping both paths open.

The New York SSI at 18 & Adult Disability Benefits Guide maps how the credential decision connects to the OPWDD, SSI, Medicaid, and ACCES-VR timelines — so the diploma pathway and the adult service pipeline work together rather than creating gaps.

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