HCS CSSB 23(EDC): "An Act relating to civics education, civics assessments, and secondary school graduation requirements; and providing for an effective date."
00 HOUSE CS FOR CS FOR SENATE BILL NO. 23(EDC) 01 "An Act relating to civics education, civics assessments, and secondary school 02 graduation requirements; and providing for an effective date." 03 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA: 04 * Section 1. AS 14.03 is amended by adding a new section to read: 05 Sec. 14.03.076. Comparative government and civics education and 06 assessments requirement. (a) The board shall make available on the department's 07 Internet website and periodically update a list of open educational resources relating to 08 comparative government and civics education curriculum, civics assessments, and 09 civics project-based assessments. A school district may use the list provided by the 10 board to instruct students in comparative government and civics. 11 (b) The list provided under (a) of this section must include resources about 12 instruction on 13 (1) the founding history of the United States, including foundational 14 documents and the principles of government of the United States; 15 (2) federalism, including the role and operations of local, state, and
01 national governments; 02 (3) the institutions of the United States government, including the 03 responsibilities of the executive, legislative, and judicial branches; 04 (4) the rights and responsibilities of United States citizenship; 05 (5) civil liberties and civil rights; 06 (6) the Constitution of the State of Alaska and the Constitution of the 07 United States; 08 (7) political parties and interest groups; 09 (8) campaigns and elections; 10 (9) the United States Congress; 11 (10) domestic policy; 12 (11) foreign policy; 13 (12) comparative systems of governments used globally and by Alaska 14 Natives; 15 (13) international relations; and 16 (14) major issues facing local, state, and the United States 17 governments. 18 (c) A school may not issue a secondary school diploma to a student unless the 19 student has received instruction on the topics listed in (b) of this section and the 20 student has 21 (1) completed one semester of a comparative government and civics 22 education course and achieved a passing score in the course; 23 (2) achieved a passing score on a civics assessment; or 24 (3) achieved a passing score on a civics project-based assessment. 25 (d) Notwithstanding (c) of this section, a school may issue a secondary school 26 diploma to a student who has not met the requirements of (c) of this section if the 27 student provides the governing body with evidence that the student 28 (1) transferred into a public school in the state after completing grade 29 10 at a school in another state; 30 (2) has, either within the previous five years or from a secondary 31 school in another state, received instruction on the subjects listed in (b) of this section
01 and achieved a passing score in a one-semester course or on a civics assessment or 02 civics-project-based assessment that is similar to the course or assessments described 03 in (c) of this section; or 04 (3) is a student with a disability who receives a waiver from the 05 governing body. 06 (e) If a student has achieved a passing score as required under (c) of this 07 section, the school shall document on the student's transcript that the student achieved 08 a passing score. A student may retake the assessment required under (c)(2) of this 09 section as needed to achieve a passing score. 10 (f) The department shall adopt regulations to recognize a student who has 11 attained a high level of proficiency in civic knowledge, civic skills, a civic mindset, 12 and civic experiences by affixing a seal of civic readiness on the student's school 13 transcript and diploma. 14 (g) In this section, 15 (1) "open educational resource" means learning, teaching, or research 16 material in any format that resides in the public domain or is under copyright and has 17 been released under an open license that permits access at no cost as well as reuse, 18 repurpose, adaptation, and redistribution by others; 19 (2) "passing score" means a student achieves a grade of 70 percent or 20 higher in a one-semester course, correctly answers 70 percent or more of the questions 21 on a civics assessment, or achieves a score of 70 percent or higher on a civics project- 22 based assessment. 23 * Sec. 2. The uncodified law of the State of Alaska is amended by adding a new section to 24 read: 25 APPLICABILITY: GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS. The requirement that a 26 school only issue a secondary school diploma to a student who has met the requirements set 27 out in AS 14.03.076(c), enacted by sec. 1 of this Act, applies to students who enter grade nine 28 on or after July 1, 2027. 29 * Sec. 3. This Act takes effect July 1, 2027.