HB 371: "An Act requiring a diploma endorsement for students who pass the secondary school competency examination; removing the secondary school competency examination as a graduation requirement; relating to secondary school competency examinations and diplomas; and providing for an effective date."
00 HOUSE BILL NO. 371 01 "An Act requiring a diploma endorsement for students who pass the secondary school 02 competency examination; removing the secondary school competency examination as a 03 graduation requirement; relating to secondary school competency examinations and 04 diplomas; and providing for an effective date." 05 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA: 06 * Section 1. AS 14.03.075(a) is repealed and reenacted to read: 07 (a) A school district shall implement a secondary school competency 08 examination in the areas of reading, English, and mathematics for all students and 09 shall record the results of each student's examination in that student's transcript. The 10 department shall determine the form and content of the examination and shall score 11 completed examinations. A student who passes all of the examination and who meets 12 all other graduation requirements shall receive an endorsed diploma under (d) of this 13 section. 14 * Sec. 2. AS 14.03.075(b) is amended to read:
01 (b) A student who fails the examination required for an endorsement under 02 this section shall be retested at least once during a school year on those portions of the 03 examination that the student has not passed. A student who passes any portion of the 04 test may not retake that portion of the test. A student who, when retested, passes the 05 portions of the test not previously passed and who meets any other graduation 06 requirements shall receive an endorsed [A] diploma from the school district. This 07 subsection does not apply to a student who is a child with a disability if the student's 08 individualized education program team recommends that the student not be retested. 09 * Sec. 3. AS 14.03.075(c) is amended to read: 10 (c) Notwithstanding (a) of this section, 11 (1) to the extent required by federal law, a student who is a child 12 with a disability and who does not achieve a passing score on the examination 13 required under (a) of this section, with or without accommodation, is eligible to 14 receive an endorsed [A] diploma if the student meets all other graduation 15 requirements and successfully completes an alternative assessment program required 16 by the student's individualized education program or required in the education plan 17 developed for the student under 29 U.S.C. 794; an alternative assessment program 18 must, to the maximum extent possible, conform to state performance standards 19 established for the competency examination required under (a) of this section; this 20 paragraph does not apply to a student unless the department determines that the 21 student has taken and failed to pass the competency examination with or without 22 accommodations and the department approves the student's alternative assessment 23 program described under this paragraph; and 24 (2) a student who transfers into a public high school in this state shall 25 receive an endorsed [A] diploma if the student 26 (A) meets graduation requirements imposed by the governing 27 body and the state; and 28 (B) has passed a competency examination in either the state 29 from which the student transferred or in this state. 30 * Sec. 4. AS 14.03.075(d) is amended to read: 31 (d) A student who fails to qualify for the issuance of an endorsed [A]
01 diploma under (a), (b), or (c) of this section [OR A RETEST UNDER (b) OF THIS 02 SECTION] by the end of the student's final semester of attendance, but who has met 03 all other graduation requirements of a governing body and the state, shall be awarded a 04 regular diploma. A student who qualifies for the issuance of an endorsed 05 diploma under (a), (b), or (c) of this section shall be awarded an endorsed 06 diploma. The department shall determine the form and content of the 07 endorsement and of each student's transcript, which must indicate the results of 08 the examination [CERTIFICATE OF ACHIEVEMENT. A CERTIFICATE OF 09 ACHIEVEMENT MAY INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION: 10 (1) THE PORTIONS OF THE EXAMINATION DESCRIBED 11 UNDER (a) OF THIS SECTION THAT WERE PASSED; 12 (2) THE STUDENT'S ATTENDANCE RECORD; AND 13 (3) OTHER INFORMATION INDICATING THE 14 QUALIFICATIONS OF THE STUDENT THAT THE GOVERNING BODY 15 DETERMINES APPROPRIATE]. 16 * Sec. 5. AS 14.03.120(d)is amended to read: 17 (d) Annually, before the date set by the district under (e) of this section, each 18 public school shall provide, in a public meeting of parents, students, and community 19 members, a report on the school's performance and the performance of the school's 20 students. The report shall be prepared on a form prescribed by the department and 21 must include 22 (1) information on accreditation; 23 (2) results of norm-referenced achievement tests; 24 (3) results of state standards-based assessments in reading, writing, and 25 mathematics; 26 (4) a description, including quantitative and qualitative measures, of 27 student, parent, community, and business involvement in student learning; 28 (5) a description of the school's attendance, retention, dropout, and 29 graduation rates [, INCLUDING THE NUMBER AND PERCENTAGE OF 30 STUDENTS WHO RECEIVED A DIPLOMA UNDER A WAIVER FROM THE 31 COMPETENCY EXAMINATION REQUIRED UNDER AS 14.03.075(a), AS
01 SPECIFIED BY THE STATE BOARD]; 02 (6) the annual percent of enrollment change, regardless of reason, and 03 the annual percent of enrollment change due to student transfers into and out of the 04 school district; 05 (7) if Native language education is provided, a summary and 06 evaluation of the curriculum described in AS 14.30.420; and 07 (8) the number and percentage of students in each school who take and 08 who successfully complete an alternative assessment program in reading, English, or 09 mathematics; and the number and percentage of pupils in each school who 10 successfully complete the alternative assessment program but who do not reach the 11 state performance standards at the competency exam level in reading, English, or 12 mathematics; a school may not report results under this paragraph unless the school 13 complies with the family educational rights and privacy requirements of 34 C.F.R. 99. 14 * Sec. 6. AS 14.07.165 is amended to read: 15 Sec. 14.07.165. Duties. The board shall adopt 16 (1) statewide goals and require each governing body to adopt written 17 goals that are consistent with local needs; 18 (2) regulations regarding the application for and award of grants under 19 AS 14.03.125; 20 (3) regulations implementing provisions of AS 14.11.014(b); 21 (4) regulations requiring approval by the board before a charter school, 22 state boarding school, or a public school may provide domiciliary services; 23 (5) regulations implementing the secondary school student competency 24 examination provisions of AS 14.03.075 [, INCLUDING THE CRITERIA AND 25 PROCEDURE UNDER WHICH A GOVERNING BODY USES A WAIVER TO 26 GRANT A DIPLOMA TO A STUDENT; CRITERIA REGARDING GRANTING A 27 WAIVER MUST INCLUDE PROVISIONS THAT A WAIVER MAY ONLY BE 28 GRANTED FOR STUDENTS WHO ENTER THE SYSTEM LATE OR HAVE 29 RARE OR UNUSUAL CIRCUMSTANCES MERITING A WAIVER]. 30 * Sec. 7. This Act takes effect immediately under AS 01.10.070(c) or on February 1, 2004, 31 whichever date is later.