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Regular Session, 2014
SENATE BILL NO. 83
BY SENATOR NEVERS
BESE. Requires BESE to create and issue a single, standard high school diploma with
multiple endorsements. (gov sig)
AN ACT1
To amend and reenact R.S. 17:2925(A), to enact R.S. 17:7.8, and to repeal Subpart A-1 of2
Part III of Chapter 1 of Title 17 of the Louisiana Revised Statutes of 1950, comprised3
of R.S. 17:183.1 through 183.5, relative to elementary and secondary education; to4
require the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education to create and issue5
a single, standard high school diploma; to provide for multiple diploma pathways6
and diploma endorsements; to provide with respect to the development, review, and7
revision of individual graduation plans; to repeal requirements for the high school8
career option program and the career diploma; to provide for rules; and to provide9
for related matters.10
Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana:11
Section 1. R.S. 17:2925(A) is hereby amended and reenacted and R.S. 17:7.8 is12
hereby enacted to read as follows:13
§7.8. High school diploma; diploma pathways and endorsements14
A. Effective for students entering the ninth grade for the 2015-201615
school year and thereafter, the State Board of Elementary and Secondary16
Education shall create and issue a single, standard high school diploma.17 SB NO. 83
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B.(1) The board shall establish multiple pathways to earning a standard1
high school diploma and establish separate course and other graduation2
requirements for each diploma pathway.3
(2)(a) The board shall create differentiated diploma endorsements to be4
placed on the face of the standard diploma to recognize each diploma pathway.5
(b) The board shall establish at least two diploma endorsements that6
recognize distinctive student achievement in academic and career-technical7
education coursework.8
(3) The board shall allow a student to pursue multiple pathways and9
earn multiple endorsements in accordance with his talents, interests, and10
postsecondary goals as contained in his individual graduation plan.11
C. The board shall sustain the diploma structure and requirements as12
prescribed on the effective date of this Section for students who enrolled in high13
school prior to the 2015-2016 school year, but shall allow such students the14
option to earn a high school diploma pursuant to the provisions of this Section.15
D. The State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education shall adopt16
rules and regulations to implement the provisions of this Section in accordance17
with the Administrative Procedure Act.18
* * *19
§2925. Individual graduation plans20
A. (1) In accordance with the provisions of R.S. 17:183.2, by By the end of21
the eighth grade, every student, with the assistance of his parent or other legal22
guardian and school guidance personnel, shall develop an individual graduation plan23
to assist them in exploring educational and career possibilities and in making24
appropriate secondary and postsecondary decisions as part of an overall career plan.25
The plan shall be based on the student's talents and interests and shall consider high26
school graduation requirements relevant to the student's chosen major diploma27
pathway and postsecondary entrance requirements goals.28
(2) Each student, with the assistance of his parent or other legal guardian and29 SB NO. 83
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school guidance personnel, shall be allowed to choose the high school curriculum1
framework diploma pathway and related graduation requirements that best meets2
his postsecondary goals. Each student's individual graduation plan shall include the3
recommended sequence of courses for successful completion of his chosen major4
that aligns with postsecondary education, training, and the workforce and shall be5
reviewed annually and updated or revised as needed diploma pathway.6
(3) A student's initial graduation plan shall detail the courses to be taken7
during his first two years of high school, and shall be reviewed annually and8
revised as needed to guide the student's progression to earning a standard high9
school diploma.10
(4) Individual graduation plans shall be sufficiently flexible to allow students11
to change their program of study diploma pathway, yet be sufficiently structured12
to ensure that a student will meet the high school graduation requirements13
prescribed by the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education for his14
chosen major diploma pathway and be qualified for admission to a postsecondary15
education institution or to enter the workforce.16
(4) (5) Each student's individual graduation plan shall be signed by the17
student and his parent or other legal guardian.18
* * *19
Section 2. Subpart A-1 of Part III of Chapter 1 of Title 17 of the Louisiana Revised20
Statutes of 1950, comprised of R.S. 17:183.1 through 183.5, is hereby repealed.21
Section 3. This Act shall become effective upon signature by the governor or, if not22
signed by the governor, upon expiration of the time for bills to become law without signature23
by the governor, as provided by Article III, Section 18 of the Constitution of Louisiana. If24
vetoed by the governor and subsequently approved by the legislature, this Act shall become25
effective on the day following such approval.26 SB NO. 83
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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". SB NO. 83
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(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)