SB 248: "An Act relating to secondary school competency examinations, graduation requirements, and diplomas; and providing for an effective date."
00 SENATE BILL NO. 248 01 "An Act relating to secondary school competency examinations, graduation 02 requirements, and diplomas; and providing for an effective date." 03 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA: 04 * Section 1. AS 14.03.075(a) is repealed and reenacted to read: 05 (a) A school district shall implement a secondary school competency 06 examination in the areas of reading, English, and mathematics for all students. The 07 department shall determine the form and content of the examination and shall score 08 completed examinations. The district may require a student to pass all or a portion of 09 the secondary school competency examination to graduate. 10 * Sec. 2. AS 14.03.075(b) is amended to read: 11 (b) A student who fails the examination required under this section shall be 12 retested at least once during a school year on those portions of the examination that the 13 student has not passed. A student who passes any portion of the test may not retake 14 that portion of the test. [A STUDENT WHO, WHEN RETESTED, PASSES THE
01 PORTIONS OF THE TEST NOT PREVIOUSLY PASSED AND WHO MEETS 02 ANY OTHER GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS SHALL RECEIVE A DIPLOMA 03 FROM THE SCHOOL DISTRICT.] This subsection does not apply to a student who 04 is a child with a disability if the student's individualized education program team 05 recommends that the student not be retested. 06 * Sec. 3. AS 14.03.075(c) is repealed and reenacted to read: 07 (c) Notwithstanding (a) of this section, to the extent allowed by federal law, 08 (1) a student who is a child with a disability may complete an 09 alternative assessment program if one is required by the student's individualized 10 education program or required in the education plan developed for the student under 11 29 U.S.C. 794 and if the student 12 (A) does not achieve a proficiency score or above on the 13 examination required under (a) of this section, with or without 14 accommodation; 15 (B) has a severe cognitive disability as defined by the 16 department and has not taken the examination under (a) of this section; or 17 (C) is otherwise found to be ineligible to take the examination 18 under (a) of this section by the student's individualized education program 19 team; and 20 (2) an alternative assessment program under (1) of this subsection 21 must, to the maximum extent possible, conform to state performance standards and 22 scores established for the competency examination required under (a) of this section, 23 must be approved for the student by the department, and may include adjusted 24 proficiency scores on the examination required under (a) of this section. 25 * Sec. 4. AS 14.03.075(d) is repealed and reenacted to read: 26 (d) A district shall record in a student's permanent record an indication of pass 27 or fail for each portion of the secondary school competency examination under (a) of 28 this section, or the alternative assessment under (c) of this section, that the student 29 passes or fails; a district shall record a passing grade if a student receives a proficiency 30 score or above. The department shall determine the portion of a student's permanent 31 record in which the district must record a student's passing or failing grade under this
01 subsection. 02 * Sec. 5. AS 14.03.120(d) is amended to read: 03 (d) Annually, before the date set by the district under (e) of this section, each 04 public school shall provide, in a public meeting of parents, students, and community 05 members, a report on the school's performance and the performance of the school's 06 students. The report shall be prepared on a form prescribed by the department and 07 must include 08 (1) information on accreditation; 09 (2) results of norm-referenced achievement tests; 10 (3) results of state standards-based assessments in reading, writing, and 11 mathematics; 12 (4) a description, including quantitative and qualitative measures, of 13 student, parent, community, and business involvement in student learning; 14 (5) a description of the school's attendance, retention, dropout, and 15 graduation rates [, INCLUDING THE NUMBER AND PERCENTAGE OF 16 STUDENTS WHO RECEIVED A DIPLOMA UNDER A WAIVER FROM THE 17 COMPETENCY EXAMINATION REQUIRED UNDER AS 14.03.075(a), AS 18 SPECIFIED BY THE STATE BOARD]; 19 (6) the annual percent of enrollment change, regardless of reason, and 20 the annual percent of enrollment change due to student transfers into and out of the 21 school district; 22 (7) if Native language education is provided, a summary and 23 evaluation of the curriculum described in AS 14.30.420; and 24 (8) the number and percentage of students in each school who take and 25 who successfully complete an alternative assessment program in reading, English, or 26 mathematics; and the number and percentage of pupils in each school who 27 successfully complete the alternative assessment program but who do not reach the 28 state performance standards at the competency exam level in reading, English, or 29 mathematics; a school may not report results under this paragraph unless the school 30 complies with the family educational rights and privacy requirements of 34 C.F.R. 99. 31 * Sec. 6. AS 14.07.165 is amended to read:
01 Sec. 14.07.165. Duties. The board shall adopt 02 (1) statewide goals and require each governing body to adopt written 03 goals that are consistent with local needs; 04 (2) regulations regarding the application for and award of grants under 05 AS 14.03.125; 06 (3) regulations implementing provisions of AS 14.11.014(b); 07 (4) regulations requiring approval by the board before a charter school, 08 state boarding school, or a public school may provide domiciliary services; 09 (5) regulations implementing the secondary school student competency 10 examination provisions of AS 14.03.075 [, INCLUDING THE CRITERIA AND 11 PROCEDURE UNDER WHICH A GOVERNING BODY USES A WAIVER TO 12 GRANT A DIPLOMA TO A STUDENT; CRITERIA REGARDING GRANTING A 13 WAIVER MUST INCLUDE PROVISIONS THAT A WAIVER MAY ONLY BE 14 GRANTED FOR STUDENTS WHO ENTER THE SYSTEM LATE OR HAVE 15 RARE OR UNUSUAL CIRCUMSTANCES MERITING A WAIVER]. 16 * Sec. 7. This Act takes effect immediately under AS 01.10.070(c) or on February 1, 2004, 17 whichever date is later.