General Assembly Raised Bill No. 1000
January Session, 2013 LCO No. 3746
*03746_______ED_*
Referred to Committee on EDUCATION
Introduced by:
(ED)
General Assembly
Raised Bill No. 1000
January Session, 2013
LCO No. 3746
*03746_______ED_*
Referred to Committee on EDUCATION
Introduced by:
(ED)
AN ACT CONCERNING THE ESTABLISHMENT OF AN ACADEMICALLY GIFTED ADVANCEMENT PROGRAM.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Assembly convened:
Section 1. Section 10-5c of the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2013):
(a) The Department of Education may establish a board examination series pilot program to allow local and regional boards of education to permit students in grades nine to twelve, inclusive, to substitute achievement of a passing score on a series of examinations approved by the State Board of Education for the high school graduation requirements pursuant to section 10-221a. The State Board of Education shall issue a board examination certificate to any student who has successfully completed such program. Such board examination certificate shall be considered in the same manner as a high school diploma for purposes of determining eligibility of a student for enrollment at a public institution of higher education in this state.
(b) The Department of Education shall establish an academically gifted advancement program to allow local and regional boards of education to permit students in grade eleven to substitute achievement of a passing score on an examination approved by the State Board of Education for the high school graduation requirements pursuant to section 10-221a. The State Board of Education shall (1) issue an academically gifted advancement program certificate to any student who has achieved a passing score on such examination, (2) waive the requirement that such student enroll in grade twelve at the high school of such student, and (3) provide a scholarship for such student to attend a public institution of higher education or participating private institution of higher education in the state. Such academically gifted advancement program certificate shall be considered in the same manner as a high school diploma.
[(b)] (c) Notwithstanding the high school graduation requirements pursuant to section 10-221a, for the school year commencing July 1, [2011] 2013, and each school year thereafter, a local or regional board of education shall permit a student to graduate from high school upon the successful completion of the board examination series pilot program, described in subsection (a) of this section, and the academically gifted advancement program, described in subsection (b) of this section.
Sec. 2. Subsection (g) of section 10-221a of the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2013):
(g) Only courses taken in grades nine through twelve, inclusive, shall satisfy this graduation requirement, except that a local or regional board of education may grant a student credit (1) toward meeting a specified course requirement upon the successful completion in grade seven or eight of any course, the primary focus of which corresponds directly to the subject matter of a specified course requirement in grades nine to twelve, inclusive; (2) toward meeting the high school graduation requirement upon the successful completion of a world language course (A) in grade six, seven or eight, (B) through on-line coursework, or (C) offered privately through a nonprofit provider, provided such student achieves a passing grade on an examination prescribed, within available appropriations, by the Commissioner of Education and such credits do not exceed four; (3) toward meeting the high school graduation requirement upon achievement of a passing grade on a subject area proficiency examination identified and approved, within available appropriations, by the Commissioner of Education, regardless of the number of hours the student spent in a public school classroom learning such subject matter; (4) toward meeting the high school graduation requirement upon the successful completion of coursework at an institution accredited by the Board of Regents for Higher Education or State Board of Education or regionally accredited. One three-credit semester course, or its equivalent, at such an institution shall equal one-half credit for purposes of this section; (5) toward meeting the high school graduation requirement upon the successful completion of on-line coursework, provided the local or regional board of education has adopted a policy in accordance with this subdivision for the granting of credit for on-line coursework. Such a policy shall ensure, at a minimum, that (A) the workload required by the on-line course is equivalent to that of a similar course taught in a traditional classroom setting, (B) the content is rigorous and aligned with curriculum guidelines approved by the State Board of Education, where appropriate, (C) the course engages students and has interactive components, which may include, but are not limited to, required interactions between students and their teachers, participation in on-line demonstrations, discussion boards or virtual labs, (D) the program of instruction for such on-line coursework is planned, ongoing and systematic, and (E) the courses are (i) taught by teachers who are certified in the state or another state and have received training on teaching in an on-line environment, or (ii) offered by institutions of higher education that are accredited by the Board of Regents for Higher Education or State Board of Education or regionally accredited; or (6) toward meeting the high school graduation requirement upon the successful completion of the board examination series and the academically gifted advancement program pursuant to section 10-5c.
This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following sections:
Section 1 July 1, 2013 10-5c
Sec. 2 July 1, 2013 10-221a(g)
This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following sections:
Section 1
July 1, 2013
10-5c
Sec. 2
July 1, 2013
10-221a(g)
Statement of Purpose:
To establish an academically gifted advancement program that will permit students to test-out of grade twelve and enroll in certain colleges and universities in Connecticut.
[Proposed deletions are enclosed in brackets. Proposed additions are indicated by underline, except that when the entire text of a bill or resolution or a section of a bill or resolution is new, it is not underlined.]