The original instrument and the following digest, which constitutes no part of the
legislative instrument, were prepared by Jeanne C. Johnston.
DIGEST
Nevers (SB 83)
Proposed law requires the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE), effective
for students entering the ninth grade for the 2015-2016 school year and thereafter, to create and
issue a single, standard high school diploma.
Proposed law requires BESE to establish multiple pathways to earning a standard high school
diploma and to establish separate course and other graduation requirements for each diploma
pathway.
Proposed law requires BESE to create differentiated diploma endorsements to be placed on the
face of the standard diploma to recognize each diploma pathway. Further requires the board to
establish at least two diploma endorsements that recognize distinctive student achievement in
academic and career-technical education coursework.
Proposed law requires BESE to allow a student to pursue multiple pathways and earn multiple
endorsements in accordance with his talents, interests, and postsecondary goals as contained in
his individual graduation plan.
Proposed law requires BESE to sustain the diploma structure and requirements as prescribed on
the effective date of proposed law for students who enrolled in high school prior to the 2015-
2016 school year, and to allow such students the option to earn a high school diploma pursuant to
the provisions of proposed law.
Proposed law requires BESE to adopt rules to implement proposed law in accordance with the
Administrative Procedure Act.
Present law (R.S. 17:2925) requires students to develop an individual graduation plan by the end
of the eighth grade to guide them through high school and specifies that such plan include the
course sequence necessary to earn either a career diploma or a standard high school diploma.
Further provides that the plan be reviewed annually and updated or revised as needed, be
sufficiently flexible to allow the student to change his program of study, and be signed by the
student and his parent or other legal guardian.
Proposed law essentially retains the provisions of present law but provides as follows:
(1)Deletes references to multiple high school curricula and graduation requirements and
instead refers to a student's chosen diploma pathway.
(2)Provides that a student's initial graduation plan will detail the courses to be taken during the student's first two years of high school and shall be reviewed annually and revised as
needed to guide the student's progression to earning a standard high school diploma.
Present law (R.S. 17:183.1-183.5) provides for the High School Career Options Program as
follows:
(1)Allows students to choose either an academic major (college preparatory) leading to a
standard high school diploma, or a career major (academic courses and career-technical
courses) that leads to a career diploma.
(2)Requires students, by the end of 8th grade, to develop a"Five-Year Individual Graduation
Plan".
(3)Requires a student to pursue the curriculum for his chosen major as approved by BESE
throughout high school, but allows students to change from one major to another at the
end of any school year.
(4)Requires a career major to be linked to postsecondary options; to prepare students to
pursue a degree or certification from a postsecondary institution, an industry-based
training or certification, an apprenticeship, the military, or immediate entrance into a
career field; to be primarily designed for students not initially college bound; and to
provide such students with alternatives to immediate entrance into a four-year institution
after graduation. Provides that when available and appropriate, students pursing such a
major may participate in dual enrollment with an institution under the management and
supervision of the LCTCS board or a business internship or work-study program.
(5)Requires a student seeking to pursue a career major diploma curriculum to meet one of
the following conditions:
(a)The student has fulfilled all requirements established by BESE and the local
public school board for promotion to 9th grade.
(b)The student is at least 15 or will turn 15 during the upcoming school year and has
scored at least approaching basic on either the English/Language Arts or Math
component of the 8th grade LEAP test and meets criteria established by the local
school system's pupil progression plan to enter the 9th grade for the purpose of
pursuing a career major curriculum. Such student must also complete a summer
remediation program in the subject area of any LEAP test component on which he
scored at the unsatisfactory level. A student who fails to complete summer
remediation satisfactorily must complete developmental courses (for credit) as
deemed necessary to be prepared to undertake the coursework required for his
chosen career major.
(6)Requires BESE to certify that the pupil progression plan of each local school system that
promotes a student who did not meet 8th grade LEAP standards to the 9th grade contains the following requirements:
(a)Such student must have earned a cumulative grade point average of 1.5 on a 4.0
scale for coursework required for completion of the 8th grade.
(b)Such student must have demonstrated acceptable attendance and behavior
standards as determined by BESE.
(c)Such student must participate in a BESE approved dropout prevention and
mentoring program, developed in consultation with school guidance personnel,
during his first year in high school.
(7)Requires a student seeking to pursue a career major to have written permission of his
parent or legal guardian after consultation with a guidance counselor or school
administrator and a determination that participation in a career major curriculum and
pursuit of a career diploma is appropriate and in student's best interest.
Proposed law repeals present law.
Effective upon signature of the governor or lapse of time for gubernatorial action.
(Amends R.S. 17:2925(A), adds R.S. 17:7.8, repeals R.S. 17:183.1-183.5)