This guide is designed to assist Florida teachers helping students achieve the Sunshine State Standards for Special Diploma. To meet the needs of students with disabilities more effectively and to align with the intent of the Sunshine State Standards and the Florida System of School Improvement and Accountability, the Student Performance Standards for Exceptional Students have been revised to reflect high levels of accomplishment in the curriculum areas appropriate for students with disabilities seeking a special diploma. The guide explains the hierarchic structure of the domains, strands, standards, and benchmarks that make up the Sunshine State Standards for Special Diploma. The guide provides a brief description of each of the four domains: curriculum and learning environment (Sunshine State Standards, functional academics, and life work), independent functioning (personal care and self management), social and emotional behavior (working with others), and communication (communicating with others). Within each domain, the content is organized by strands. Each strand contains one or more standards, and each standard includes one or more benchmarks for three different levels of functioning: the independent level, the supported level, and the participatory level. The guide closes with a chart correlating the Sunshine State Standards to benchmarks and sample performance objectives. (CR)