25 LC 61 0099
House Bill 505
By: Representatives Hilton of the 48
th
, Donatucci of the 105
th
, and Barrett of the 24
th
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
To amend Title 20 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to education, so as to
1
provide for the development of career development plans for secondary students; to add2
requirements for career development plans; to provide for the development of an electronic3
platform for career development plans; to provide requirements for such electronic platform;4
to provide for the collection of data and evaluation of career development plans; to provide5
for definitions; to provide for conforming changes; to provide a short title; to provide for6
related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.7
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:8
SECTION 1.9
This Act shall be known and may be cited as the "Career Readiness and Economic10
Development Act."11
SECTION 2.12
Title 20 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to education, is amended in Part13
16 of Article 6 of Chapter 2, the "Building Resourceful Individuals to Develop Georgia's14
Economy Act," by revising Code Section 20-2-326, relating to definitions, as follows:15
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"20-2-326.
16
For purposes of
As used in this part, the term:17
(1) 'Articulation' means agreement between a high school and a postsecondary institution18
regarding the awarding of both secondary and postsecondary credit for a dual enrollment19
course.20
(2) 'Career development plan' means a student specific plan provided for in21
subsection (c) of Code Section 20-2-327.22
(2)(3) 'Choice technical high school' means a high school, other than the high school to23
which a student is assigned by virtue of his or her residence and attendance zone, which24
is designed to prepare a high school student for postsecondary education and for25
employment in a career field. A choice technical high school may be operated by a local26
school system or a technical school or college. A choice technical high school may also27
be operated as a charter school under a governance board composed of parents,28
employers, and representatives from the local board of education.29
(3)(4) 'Chronically low-performing high school' means a public high school in this state30
that has a graduation rate of less than 60 percent for three consecutive years, as31
determined in accordance with methodology established by the National Governors32
Association's Compact on High School Graduation Data, or that has received an33
unacceptable rating for three consecutive years, as defined by the Office of Student34
Achievement.35
(4)(5) 'College and career academy' means a specialized school established as a charter36
school or pursuant to a contract for a strategic waivers school system or charter system,37
which formalizes a partnership that demonstrates a collaboration between business,38
industry, and community stakeholders to advance work force development between one39
or more local boards of education, a private individual, a private organization, or a state40
or local public entity in cooperation with one or more postsecondary institutions.41
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(5)(6) 'Focused program of study' means a rigorous academic core combined with a42
focus in mathematics and science; a focus in humanities, fine arts, and foreign language;43
or a coherent sequence of career pathway courses that is aligned with graduation44
requirements established by the State Board of Education and content standards45
established pursuant to Part 2 of this article that prepares a student for postsecondary46
education or immediate employment after high school graduation.47
(6) 'Graduation plan' means a student specific plan developed in accordance with48
subsection (c) of Code Section 20-2-327 detailing the courses necessary for a high school49
student to graduate from high school and to successfully transition to postsecondary50
education and the work force.51
(7) 'Industry certification' means a process of program evaluation that ensures that52
individual programs meet state, national, or international industry standards in the areas53
of curriculum, teacher qualification, lab specifications, equipment, and industry54
involvement.55
(7.1)(8) 'Industry credentialing' means a process through which students are assessed by56
an independent third-party certifying entity using predetermined standards for knowledge,57
skills, and competencies, resulting in the award of individual certification or state58
licensure or an occupational competency that is state, nationally, or internationally59
recognized.60
(8)(9) 'Public college or university' means a two-year or four-year college, university, or61
other institution under the auspices of the Board of Regents of the University System of62
Georgia.63
(9)(10) 'Small learning community' means an autonomous or semiautonomous small64
learning environment within a large high school which is made up of a subset of students65
and teachers for a two-year, three-year, or four-year period. The goal of a small learning66
community is to achieve greater personalization of learning with each community led by67
a principal or instructional leader. A small learning community blends academic studies68
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around a broad career or academic theme where teachers have common planning time to
69
connect teacher assignments and assessments to college and career readiness standards. 70
Students voluntarily apply for enrollment in a small learning community but must be71
accepted, and such enrollment must be approved by the student's parent or guardian. A72
small learning community also includes a college and career academy organized around73
a specific career theme which integrates academic and career instruction, provides work74
based learning opportunities, and prepares students for postsecondary education and75
employment, with support through partnerships with local employers, community76
organizations, and postsecondary institutions.77
(10)
(11) 'Teacher adviser system' means a system where an individual professional78
educator in the school assists a small group of students and their parents or guardians79
throughout the students' high school careers to set postsecondary goals and help them80
prepare programs of study, utilizing assessments and other data to track academic81
progress on a regular basis; communicates frequently with parents or guardians; and82
provides advisement, support, and encouragement as needed.83
(11)(12) 'Technical school or college' means a college, institution, or other branch of the84
Technical College System of Georgia."85
SECTION 3.86
Said title is further amended in said part by revising Code Section 20-2-327, relating to87
recognition of advanced proficiency and honors courses and counseling and development of88
individual graduation plans, as follows:89
"20-2-237.90
(a) Student performance at the advanced proficiency/honors proficiency or honors level91
on any assessments required for purposes of high school graduation shall be recognized as:92
(1) Meeting postsecondary entrance test requirements; and93
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(2) Qualifying students to enroll in credit-bearing postsecondary coursework in
94
accordance with policies and requirements established by the State Board of Education,95
the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia, and the State Board of the96
Technical College System of Georgia.97
(b) Secondary and postsecondary credit shall be awarded immediately upon successful98
completion of any articulated or dual enrollment course in accordance with policies and99
requirements established by the State Board of Education, the Board of Regents of the100
University System of Georgia, and the State Board of the Technical College System of101
Georgia.102
(c)(1) Students in the sixth, seventh, and eighth grades shall be provided counseling,103
advisement, career awareness, career interest and career demand inventories, and104
information to assist them in evaluating their academic skills, career oriented aptitudes,105
and career interests. Before the end of the second semester of the eighth grade, or within
106
90 days of enrollment in the case of a high school student who does not already have a107
career development plan, students shall develop an individual graduation a career108
development plan based on their academic skills, career oriented aptitudes, and career109
interests in consultation with their parents, guardians, or individuals appointed by the110
parents or guardians to serve as their designee. A student's individual graduation career111
development plan shall be taken into consideration when scheduling a student's courses112
in ninth grade high school. High school students shall be provided guidance, advisement,113
and counseling annually that will enable them to successfully update and implement their114
individual graduation career development plans, preparing them for a seamless transition115
to postsecondary study, further training, or employment, including information regarding116
occupations, degrees, industry credentials, certifications, and technical skills; work-ready117
skills in demand by Georgia employers through the department's career pipeline public118
website; and other career related inventories made available through the Technical119
College System of Georgia or the Office of Student Achievement. Beginning with the120
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2018-2019 school year in tenth grade, such guidance, advisement, and counseling for121
high school students shall include providing career oriented aptitude and career interest122
guidance along with concrete strategies and steps for achieving students' postsecondary123
goals. An individual graduation A career development plan shall:124
(A) Include rigorous academic core subjects and focused coursework in mathematics125
and science or in humanities, fine arts, and foreign language or sequenced career126
pathway coursework;127
(B) Incorporate provisions of a student's Individualized Education Program (IEP),128
where applicable;129
(C) Align educational and broad career goals, and a student's course of study, and130
extracurricular activities;131
(D) Be based on the student's selected academic and career focus area as approved by132
the student's parent or guardian;133
(E) Include experience based, career oriented learning experiences which may include,134
but not be limited to, participation in work based learning programs such as internships,135
apprenticeships, cooperative education, and employability skill development;136
(F) Include any applicable industry credentialing that pertains to the student's focused137
program of study;138
(G) Include opportunities for postsecondary studies through articulation, dual139
enrollment, and joint enrollment;140
(H) Be flexible to allow change in the course of study but be sufficiently structured to141
meet graduation requirements and qualify the student for admission to postsecondary142
education; and143
(I) Be approved by the student and the student's parent or guardian with guidance from144
the student's school counselor or teacher adviser; 145
(J) Include a portfolio which shall include the student's resume, skills, awards,146
activities, and other relevant information; and147
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(K) Be accessible to designated school personnel, students, and parents on the148
electronic platform developed pursuant to subsection (d) of this Code section.149
(2) An individual graduation A career development plan shall be reviewed annually, and150
revised, if appropriate, upon approval by the student and the student's parent or guardian151
with guidance from the student's school counselor or teacher adviser. An individual152
graduation A career development plan may be changed at any time throughout a student's153
high school career upon approval by the student and the student's parent or guardian with154
guidance from the student's school counselor or teacher adviser.155
(d) The Department of Education shall develop an electronic platform which shall be156
available for use by school personnel, students, and parents to support the creation and157
revision of career development plans. The Department of Education shall be authorized to158
contract for the development and operation of such electronic platform. Such electronic159
platform shall:160
(1) Be accessible to designated school personnel, students, and parents;161
(2) Provide access to data included in the report required by subsection (b) of Code162
Section 20-2-327.1;163
(3) Provide information regarding occupations, degrees, industry credentialing,164
certifications, and technical skills;165
(4) Provide information on work-ready skills in demand by Georgia employers; and166
(5) Ensure that students do not lose access to their career development plan or student167
portfolio after graduation.168
(e) The Department of Education shall utilize de-identified data collected through the169
electronic platform developed pursuant to subsection (d) of this Code section to evaluate170
the effectiveness of career development plans."171
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SECTION 4.
172
Said title is further amended in Code Section 20-2-329, relating to requirements for high173
schools that receive reform grants as chronically low-performing high schools, by revising174
paragraphs (3) and (7) as follows:175
"(3) Provide students in the ninth through twelfth grades information on educational176
programs offered in high school, in technical and community colleges, in colleges and177
universities, and through work based learning programs and how these programs can lead178
to a variety of career fields. Local school systems shall provide career awareness and179
exploratory opportunities such as field trips, speakers, educational and career information180
centers, job shadowing, and classroom centers to assist students and their parents or181
guardians, with guidance from school counselors and teacher advisers, in revising, if182
appropriate, the individual graduation
career development plan developed pursuant to183
subsection (c) of Code Section 20-2-327;"184
"(7) Schedule annual conferences to assist students and their parents or guardians in185
setting educational and career goals and creating individual graduation career186
development plans beginning with students in the eighth grade and continuing through187
high school. These conferences shall include, but are not limited to, assisting the student188
in identifying educational and career interests and goals, selecting a career and academic189
focus area, and developing an individual graduation a career development plan."190
SECTION 5.191
Said title is further amended by replacing "individual graduation plan" and "individual192
graduation plans" with "career development plan" and "career development plans",193
respectively, wherever such phrases appear in:194
(1) Code Section 20-2-161.3, relating to the "Dual Enrollment Act," purpose, dual credit195
courses, eligibility for participation, eligibility for secondary course credits, eligibility to196
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meet high school graduation requirements, eligibility for award of high school diploma,
197
funding, limitations on total hours, exceptions, and eligibility for payment;198
(2) Code Section 20-2-327.1, relating to industry credentialing for career, technical, and199
agricultural education programs and reporting;200
(3) Code Section 20-2-328, relating to competitive grant program; and201
(4) Code Section 20-2-2065, relating to waiver of provisions of this title, requirements for202
operating, and control and management.203
SECTION 6.204
Said title is further amended in Code Section 20-3-242, relating to web based counseling and205
resources for students provided by the Georgia Student Finance Commission, by replacing206
"graduation plan" with "career development plan".207
SECTION 7.208
All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed. 209
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