CSSB 133(HES): "An Act relating to a two-year transition for implementation of the public high school competency examination and to establishing a secondary student competency examination as a high school graduation requirement; and providing for an effective date."
00 CS FOR SENATE BILL NO. 133(HES) 01 "An Act relating to a two-year transition for implementation of the public high school 02 competency examination and to establishing a secondary student competency 03 examination as a high school graduation requirement; and providing for an effective 04 date." 05 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA: 06 * Section 1. The uncodified law of the State of Alaska is amended by adding a new section 07 to read: 08 INTENT. It is the intent of this Act 09 (1) to encourage schools and school districts to develop and promote 10 endorsements and awards that document high levels of academic, artistic, or vocational 11 achievement on the part of graduating students; 12 (2) to implement testing procedures that are reasonable, fair, and in the best 13 interest of students who are being tested; and 14 (3) that the secondary school student competency examination focus on skills
01 in the areas of reading, English, and mathematics that the general community would expect a 02 student to have or know in order to function in our society. 03 * Sec. 2. AS 14.03.075, added by sec. 1, ch. 58, SLA 1997, is amended to read: 04 Sec. 14.03.075. Secondary student [PUPIL] competency examination 05 [TESTING]. (a) A student [PUPIL] may not be issued a secondary school diploma 06 unless the student [PUPIL] passes a high school student competency examination in 07 the areas of reading, English, and mathematics or receives a waiver from the 08 governing body. The department shall determine the form and contents of the 09 examination and shall score completed examinations. [A PUPIL WHO FAILS TO 10 PASS THE EXAMINATION REQUIRED UNDER THIS SUBSECTION AND 11 WHO IS NO LONGER IN ATTENDANCE SHALL RECEIVE A CERTIFICATE 12 OF ATTENDANCE FROM THE SCHOOL DISTRICT INDICATING THE YEARS 13 OF ATTENDANCE AND THAT THE PUPIL HAS NOT PASSED A 14 COMPETENCY EXAMINATION OR RECEIVED A DIPLOMA.] 15 (b) A student [PUPIL] who fails the examination required under this section 16 may be reexamined under procedures established by the department. A 17 reexamination may not be offered more often than once every three months [AND 18 MUST OCCUR WITHIN THREE YEARS AFTER THE DATE THE PUPIL IS NO 19 LONGER IN ATTENDANCE. A PUPIL WHO PASSES THE REEXAMINATION 20 AND WHO MEETS ANY OTHER GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS SHALL 21 RECEIVE A DIPLOMA FROM THE SCHOOL DISTRICT]. 22 * Sec. 3. AS 14.03.075, added by sec. 1, ch. 58, SLA 1997, is amended by adding new 23 subsections to read: 24 (c) A student shall receive an endorsement on the student's diploma and 25 transcript identifying the areas of the examination successfully passed. 26 (d) A student who is a child with a disability and who does not achieve a 27 passing score on the examination required under (a) of this section is eligible to 28 receive a diploma if the student 29 (1) successfully completes an alternative assessment program required 30 by the student's individualized education program or required in the education plan 31 developed for the student under 29 U.S.C. 794; and
01 (2) meets other requirements for graduation imposed by the board. 02 (e) The department shall by regulation establish 03 (1) uniform standards for 04 (A) pre-examination study materials; 05 (B) procedures to be followed during administration of an 06 examination; 07 (C) awarding a waiver under (a) of this section; and 08 (2) procedures for recording examination results on a student's 09 transcripts. 10 (f) In this section, 11 (1) "child with a disability" has the meaning given "children with 12 disabilities" in AS 14.30.350; 13 (2) "individualized education program" means a program described 14 under AS 14.30.278. 15 * Sec. 4. AS 14.03.120(d) is amended to read: 16 (d) Annually, before the date set by the district under (e) of this section, each 17 public school shall provide, in a public meeting of parents, students, and community 18 members, a report on the school's performance and the performance of the school's 19 students. The report shall be prepared on a form prescribed by the department and 20 must include 21 (1) information on accreditation; 22 (2) results of norm-referenced achievement tests; 23 (3) results of state standards-based assessments in reading, writing, and 24 mathematics; 25 (4) a description, including quantitative and qualitative measures, of 26 student, parent, community, and business involvement in student learning; 27 (5) a description of the school's attendance, retention, dropout, and 28 graduation rates, including the number of students who received a diploma under 29 a waiver from the competency examination required under AS 14.03.075(a), as 30 specified by the state board; 31 (6) the annual percent of enrollment change, regardless of reason, and
01 the annual percent of enrollment change due to student transfers into and out of the 02 school district; and 03 (7) if Native language education is provided, a summary and 04 evaluation of the curriculum described in AS 14.30.420. 05 * Sec. 5. AS 14.07.165 is amended to read: 06 Sec. 14.07.165. Duties. The board shall adopt 07 (1) statewide goals and require each governing body to adopt written 08 goals that are consistent with local needs; 09 (2) regulations regarding the application for and award of grants under 10 AS 14.03.125; 11 (3) regulations implementing provisions of AS 14.11.014(b); 12 (4) regulations requiring approval by the board before a charter school, 13 state boarding school, or a public school may provide domiciliary services; 14 (5) regulations implementing the secondary school student 15 competency examination provisions of AS 14.03.075, including the criteria and 16 procedure under which a governing body uses a waiver to grant a diploma to a 17 student; criteria regarding granting a waiver must include provisions requiring 18 that a student satisfy the performance standards developed under 19 AS 14.07.020(b) to the maximum extent possible. 20 * Sec. 6. Section 3, ch. 58, SLA 1997, is amended to read: 21 Sec. 3. This Act takes effect February 1, 2004 [JANUARY 1, 2002]. 22 * Sec. 7. The uncodified law of the State of Alaska is amended by adding a new section to 23 read: 24 APPLICABILITY. The academic standards and requirements required by 25 AS 14.03.075, as amended by secs. 2 and 3 of this Act, apply to students who graduate on or 26 after February 1, 2004. 27 * Sec. 8. The uncodified law of the State of Alaska is amended by adding a new section to 28 read: 29 TRANSITION: ACADEMIC STANDARDS FOR PUBLIC HIGH SCHOOL 30 GRADUATION. (a) Beginning February 1, 2002, and ending January 31, 2004, before 31 graduating from public high school, each student is required to
01 (1) take a competency examination or an alternative assessment approved by 02 the student's individualized education program in the areas of reading, English, and 03 mathematics; and 04 (2) meet academic requirements established by the state and the school board 05 of the borough or city school district or regional educational attendance area in which the 06 student is enrolled. 07 (b) The Department of Education and Early Development shall determine the form 08 and contents of the competency examination and shall score completed examinations. 09 (c) A student shall receive an endorsement on the student's diploma and transcript 10 identifying the areas of the examination successfully passed. 11 (d) In this section, "individualized education program" means a program described 12 under AS 14.30.278. 13 * Sec. 9. The uncodified law of the State of Alaska is amended by adding a new section to 14 read: 15 TRANSITION: REGULATIONS. The Department of Education and Early 16 Development may immediately proceed to adopt regulations necessary to implement the 17 changes made by this Act, including the adoption of uniform standards for awarding an 18 endorsement required under sec. 8(c) of this Act. The regulations take effect under AS 44.62 19 (Administrative Procedure Act), but not before the effective date of the applicable statutory 20 change. 21 * Sec. 10. The uncodified law of the State of Alaska is amended by adding a new section to 22 read: 23 REPORT. The Department of Education and Early Development shall, by January 31, 24 2003, deliver a report to the Alaska State Legislature that describes the proposed criteria and 25 procedure under which a school district could use a waiver to grant a diploma to a student. 26 * Sec. 11. Sections 2 - 5 of this Act take effect February 1, 2004. 27 * Sec. 12. Sections 6 and 9 of this Act take effect immediately under AS 01.10.070(c). 28 * Sec. 13. Except as provided in secs. 11 and 12 of this Act, this Act takes effect 29 February 1, 2002.