10 HB
400/AP
House
Bill 400 (AS PASSED HOUSE AND SENATE)
By:
Representatives Millar of the
79th,
Lindsey of the
54th,
Pruett of the
144th,
Amerson of the
9th,
and Ashe of the
56th
A
BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
AN ACT
To
amend Article 6 of Chapter 2 of Title 20 of the Official Code of Georgia
Annotated, relating to the "Quality Basic Education Act," so as to enact the
"Building Resourceful Individuals to Develop Georgia's Economy Act"; to develop
programs to improve graduation rates and to improve the preparedness of students
for postsecondary education and careers; to provide for definitions; to provide
for individual graduation plans; to establish a reform grant program; to provide
that the grant program is subject to appropriations; to require local school
systems which receive a reform grant to comply with certain requirements; to
provide for rules and regulations; to provide for exemptions from certain
portions of the high school graduation test and end-of-course assessments; to
provide for related matters; to provide for an effective date; to repeal
conflicting laws; and for other purposes.
BE
IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:
SECTION
1.
Article
6 of Chapter 2 of Title 20 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating
to the "Quality Basic Education Act," is amended by adding a new part to read as
follows:
"Part
16
20-2-325.
This
part shall be known and may be cited as the 'Building Resourceful Individuals to
Develop Georgia's Economy Act.'
20-2-326.
For
purposes of this part, the term:
(1)
'Articulation' means agreement between a high school and a postsecondary
institution regarding the awarding of both secondary and postsecondary credit
for a dual enrollment course.
(2)
'Career academy' means a specialized charter school established by a partnership
between one or more local boards of education and a technical school or college
and approved by the State Board of Education in accordance with Article 31 of
this chapter or the Georgia Charter Schools Commission in accordance with
Article 31A of this chapter. This term also includes a small learning community
where a student receives academic instruction at his or her assigned high school
combined with work based learning opportunities at an industry center or
technical school or college.
(3)
'Choice technical high school' means a high school, other than the high school
to which a student is assigned by virtue of his or her residence and attendance
zone, which is designed to prepare a high school student for postsecondary
education and for employment in a career field. A choice technical high school
may be operated by a local school system or a technical school or college. A
choice technical high school may also be operated as a charter school under a
governance board composed of parents, employers, and representatives from the
local board of education.
(4)
'Chronically low-performing high school' means a public high school in this
state that has a graduation rate of less than 60 percent for three consecutive
years, as determined in accordance with methodology established by the National
Governors Association's Compact on High School Graduation Data, or that has not
made adequate yearly progress for three consecutive years, as defined by the
Office of Student Achievement.
(5)
'Focused program of study' means a rigorous academic core combined with a focus
in mathematics and science; a focus in humanities, fine arts, and foreign
language; or a coherent sequence of career pathway courses that is aligned with
graduation requirements established by the State Board of Education and
curriculum requirements established pursuant to Part 2 of this article that
prepares a student for postsecondary education or immediate employment after
high school graduation.
(6)
'Graduation plan' means a student specific plan developed in accordance with
subsection (c) of Code Section 20-2-327 detailing the courses necessary for a
high school student to graduate from high school and to successfully transition
to postsecondary education and the work force.
(7)
'Industry certification' means a process of program evaluation that ensures that
individual programs meet industry standards in the areas of curriculum, teacher
qualification, lab specifications, equipment, and industry
involvement.
(8)
'Public college or university' means a two-year or four-year college,
university, or other institution under the auspices of the Board of Regents of
the University System of Georgia.
(9)
'Small learning community' means an autonomous or semiautonomous small learning
environment within a large high school which is made up of a subset of students
and teachers for a two, three, or four-year period. The goal of a small
learning community is to achieve greater personalization of learning with each
community led by a principal or instructional leader. A small learning
community blends academic studies around a broad career or academic theme where
teachers have common planning time to connect teacher assignments and
assessments to college and career readiness standards. Students voluntarily
apply for enrollment in a small learning community but must be accepted, and
such enrollment must be approved by the student's parent or guardian. A small
learning community also includes a career academy organized around a specific
career theme which integrates academic and career instruction, provides
work-based learning opportunities, and prepares students for postsecondary
education and employment, with support through partnerships with local
employers, community organizations, and postsecondary institutions.
(10)
'Teacher adviser system' means a system where an individual professional
educator in the school assists a small group of students and their parents or
guardians throughout the students' high school careers to set postsecondary
goals and help them prepare programs of study, utilizing assessments and other
data to track academic progress on a regular basis; communicates frequently with
parents or guardians; and provides advisement, support, and encouragement as
needed.
(11)
'Technical school or college' means a school, college, institution, or other
branch of the Technical College System of Georgia.
20-2-327.
(a) Student
performance at the advanced proficiency/honors level on any
assessments
required for
purposes of high school graduation shall be recognized as:
(1)
Meeting postsecondary entrance test requirements, and
(2)
Qualifying students to enroll in credit-bearing postsecondary course work
in
accordance
with policies and requirements established by the State Board of Education,
the
Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia, and the State Board of
Technical and Adult Education.
(b)
Secondary and postsecondary credit shall be awarded immediately upon successful
completion of any articulated or dual enrollment course in accordance with
policies and requirements established by the State Board of Education, the
Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia, and the State Board of
Technical and Adult Education.
(c)
Beginning with the 2010-2011 school year, students in the sixth, seventh, and
eighth grades shall be provided counseling, advisement, career awareness, career
interest inventories, and information to assist them in evaluating their
academic skills and career interests. Before the end of the second semester of
the eighth grade, students shall develop an individual graduation plan in
consultation with their parents, guardians, or individuals appointed by the
parents or guardians to serve as their designee. High school students shall be
provided guidance, advisement, and counseling annually that will enable them to
successfully complete their individual graduation plans, preparing them for a
seamless transition to postsecondary study, further training, or employment. An
individual graduation plan shall:
(1)
Include rigorous academic core subjects and focused course work in mathematics
and science or in humanities, fine arts, and foreign language or sequenced
career pathway course work;
(2)
Incorporate provisions of a student's Individualized Education Program (IEP),
where applicable;
(3)
Align educational and broad career goals and a student's course of
study;
(4)
Be based on the student's selected academic and career focus area as approved by
the student's parent or guardian;
(5)
Include experience based, career oriented learning experiences which may
include, but not be limited to, internships, apprenticeships, mentoring, co-op
education, and service learning;
(6)
Include opportunities for postsecondary studies through articulation, dual
enrollment, and joint enrollment;
(7)
Be flexible to allow change in the course of study but be sufficiently
structured to meet graduation requirements and qualify the student for admission
to postsecondary education; and
(8)
Be approved by the student and the student's parent or guardian with guidance
from the student's school counselor or teacher adviser.
An
individual graduation plan shall be reviewed annually, and revised, if
appropriate, upon approval by the student and the student's parent or guardian
with guidance from the student's school counselor or teacher adviser. An
individual graduation plan may be changed at any time throughout a student's
high school career upon approval by the student and the student's parent or
guardian with guidance from the student's school counselor or teacher
adviser.
20-2-328.
(a)
Subject to appropriations by the General Assembly, the State Board of Education
shall establish a competitive grant program for local school systems to
implement school reform measures in selected high schools. The state board
shall establish program requirements in accordance with the provisions of this
Code section and shall establish grant criteria, which shall include that
priority for reform grants shall be given to chronically low-performing high
schools.
(b)(1)
The State Board of Education shall develop an evidence based model program for
chronically low-performing high schools receiving a reform grant pursuant to
this Code section for addressing at-risk students, which shall include various
programs and curricula that have proven to be effective for at-risk students
focusing on:
(A)
Identification of students at risk for being poorly prepared for the next grade
level or for dropping out of school;
(B)
Strengthening retention of ninth grade students in school and reducing high
failure rates;
(C)
Improving more students' performances to grade level standards in reading and
mathematics by the end of ninth grade;
(D)
Assisting students and their parents or guardians in setting an outcome career
and educational goal and identifying a focused program of study to achieve such
goal; and
(E)
Assisting students in learning and applying study skills, coping skills, and
other habits that produce successful students and adults.
(2)
The at-risk model program shall include:
(A)
Diagnostic assessments to identify strengths and weaknesses in the core academic
areas;
(B)
A process for identifying at-risk students, closely monitored by the Department
of Education in collaboration with local school systems to ensure that students
are being properly identified and provided timely, appropriate guidance and
assistance and to ensure that no group is disproportionately represented;
and
(C)
An evaluation component in each high school to ensure the programs are providing
students an opportunity to graduate with a high school diploma.
(3)
The at-risk model program may include various components designed to result in
more students facilitating a successful start in high school and passing ninth
grade such as:
(A)
Utilizing a flexible schedule that increases students' time in core language
arts/reading and mathematics studies designed to eliminate academic
deficiencies;
(B)
Maintaining a student-teacher ratio in ninth grade that is no higher than any
other grade level ratio in high school;
(C)
Utilizing experienced and effective teachers as leaders for teacher teams in
ninth grade to improve instructional planning, delivery, and reteaching
strategies;
(D)
Assigning students to a teacher mentor who will meet with them frequently to
provide planned lessons on study skills and other habits of success that help
students become independent learners and who will help them receive the
assistance they need to successfully pass ninth grade; and
(E)
Including ninth grade career courses which incorporate a series of miniprojects
throughout the school year that require the application of ninth grade level
reading, mathematics, and science skills to complete while students learn to use
a range of technology and help students explore a range of educational and
career options that will assist them in formulating post high school goals and
give them a reason to stay in school and work toward achieving their stated
goals.
(c)
The State Board of Education shall promulgate rules and regulations for
chronically low-performing high schools receiving a reform grant pursuant to
this Code section to make the high schools more relevant to and effective for
all students. Such rules shall encourage high schools to implement a
comprehensive school reform research based model that focuses
on:
(1)
Setting high expectations for all students;
(2)
Personalizing graduation plans for students;
(3)
Developing small learning communities or career academies with a rigorous
academic foundation and emphasis in broad career fields of study;
(4)
Using project based instruction embedded with strong academics to improve
relevancy in learning;
(5)
Fostering collaboration among academic and career/technical
teachers;
(6)
Implementing nontraditional scheduling in ninth grade for students behind in
their grade level;
(7)
Promoting parental involvement; and
(8)
Training teachers to work with low-performing students and their parents or
guardians.
(d)
This Code section shall be subject to appropriations by the General
Assembly.
20-2-329.
High
schools that receive a reform grant pursuant to Code Section 20-2-328
shall:
(1)
Provide focused programs of study which are designed to provide a well-rounded
education for students by fostering artistic creativity, critical thinking, and
self-discipline through the teaching of academic content, knowledge, and skills
that students will use in the workplace, further education, and life. The
focused programs of study, whether provided at a choice technical high school, a
career academy, a traditional high school, or on site at a technical school or
college or a public college or university, shall be aligned with graduation
requirements established by the State Board of Education and curriculum
requirements established pursuant to Part 2 of this article, including, at a
minimum, four years of mathematics, Algebra I and higher, and four years of
English, with an emphasis on developing reading and writing skills to meet
college and career readiness standards;
(2)
Implement a teacher adviser system;
(3)
Provide students in the ninth through twelfth grades information on educational
programs offered in high school, in technical and community colleges, in
colleges and universities, and through apprenticeship programs and how these
programs can lead to a variety of career fields. Local school systems shall
provide opportunities for field trips, speakers, educational and career
information centers, job shadowing, and classroom centers to assist students and
their parents or guardians, with guidance from school counselors and teacher
advisers, in revising, if appropriate, the individual graduation plan developed
pursuant to subsection (c) of Code Section 20-2-327;
(4)
Enroll students no later than ninth grade into one of the following options for
earning a high school diploma and preparing students for postsecondary education
and a career which will include a structured program of academic study with
in-depth studies in:
(A)
Mathematics and science;
(B)
Humanities, fine arts, and foreign language; or
(C)
A career pathway that leads to passing an employer certification exam in a high
demand, high skill, or high wage career field or to an associate's degree or
bachelor's degree.
The
awarding of a special education diploma to any disabled student who has not
completed all of the requirements for a high school diploma, but who has
completed his or her Individualized Education Program (IEP) shall be deemed to
meet the requirements of this paragraph;
(5)
Implement the at-risk model program developed by the State Board of Education
pursuant to subsection (b) of Code Section 20-2-328;
(6)
Comply with the rules and regulations promulgated by the State Board of
Education for chronically low-performing high schools pursuant to subsection (c)
of Code Section 20-2-328; and
(7)
Schedule annual conferences to assist students and their parents or guardians in
setting educational and career goals and creating individual graduation plans
beginning with students in the eighth grade and continuing through high school.
These conferences shall include, but are not limited to, assisting the student
in identifying educational and career interests and goals, selecting a career
and academic focus area, and developing an individual graduation
plan.
20-2-329.1.
The
State Board of Education shall promulgate rules and regulations necessary to
carry out the provisions of this
part."
SECTION
2.
Said
article is further amended in Code Section 20-2-281, relating to assessment of
effectiveness of educational programs, by adding a new subsection to read as
follows:
"(q)
The State Board of Education shall consider the passage by a student of an
industry certification examination or a state licensure examination which is
approved by the State Board of Education when considering whether to grant such
student a variance for one or more portions of the high school graduation test
required by the State Board of Education pursuant to subsection (a) of this Code
section in order to obtain a Georgia high school diploma; provided, however,
that the state board shall not grant a variance to a student unless the student
has attempted and failed to pass the relevant portion of the high school
graduation test at least four
times."
SECTION
3.
This
Act shall become effective upon its approval by the Governor or upon its
becoming law without such approval.
SECTION
4.
All
laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.