HLS 21RS-978 ORIGINAL
2021 Regular Session
HOUSE BILL NO. 635
BY REPRESENTATIVE GLOVER
Prefiled pursuant to Article III, Section 2(A)(4)(b)(i) of the Constitution of Louisiana.
STUDENT/LOANS-SCHOLARSHP: Provides relative to core curriculum requirements for
TOPS
1 AN ACT
2To amend and reenact R.S. 17:5025(introductory paragraph) and (4)(c) and to enact R.S.
3 17:5025.4, relative to the Taylor Opportunity Program for Students (TOPS); to
4 provide relative to high school core curriculum requirements for receipt of certain
5 awards from TOPS; and to provide for related matters.
6Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana:
7 Section 1. R.S. 17:5025(introductory paragraph) and (4)(c) are hereby amended and
8reenacted and R.S. 17:5025.4 is hereby enacted to read as follows:
9 §5025. High school core curriculum requirements; Opportunity, Performance,
10 Honors Awards
11 To be eligible for an Opportunity, Performance, or Honors Award pursuant
12 to this Chapter, a student who graduates during or after the 2017-2018 2021-2022
13 school year shall have successfully completed a core curriculum which consists of
14 nineteen units of high school course work as follows:
15 * * *
16 (4)
17 * * *
18 (c) Two units chosen from the following: Western Civilization, European
19 History, or AP European History; World Geography, AP Human Geography, or IB
20 Geography; World History, AP World History, or World History IB; History of
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HB NO. 635
1 Religion; IB Economics, Economics, AP Macroeconomics, or AP Microeconomics;
2 African American History.
3 * * *
4 §5025.4. High school core curriculum requirements; Opportunity, Performance,
5 Honors; students graduating 2017-2018 through 2020-2021 school years
6 To be eligible for an Opportunity, Performance, or Honors Award pursuant
7 to this Chapter, a student who graduated from high school during or after the 2017-
8 2018 school year but not later than the 2020-2021 school year shall have successfully
9 completed a core curriculum which consists of nineteen units of high school course
10 work as follows:
11 (1) English - Four Units
12 (a) English I.
13 (b) English II.
14 (c) One unit chosen from the following: English III, AP English Language
15 Arts and Composition, or English III IB (Language A or Literature and
16 Performance).
17 (d) One unit chosen from the following: English IV, AP English Literature
18 and Composition, or English IV IB (Language A or Literature and Performance).
19 (2) Mathematics - Four Units
20 (a) Algebra I (one unit), Geometry (one unit), and Algebra II (one unit).
21 Integrated Mathematics I, Integrated Mathematics II, and Integrated Mathematics III
22 may be substituted for the Algebra I, Geometry, and Algebra II sequence.
23 (b) One unit chosen from the following: Algebra III; Advanced Math
24 Functions and Statistics, Advanced Math-Pre-Calculus, Pre-Calculus, or Math
25 Methods I IB (Mathematical Studies SL); Calculus, AP Calculus AB, or Math
26 Methods II IB (Mathematics SL); AP Calculus BC; Probability and Statistics or AP
27 Statistics; IB Further Mathematics HL; IB Mathematics HL.
28 (3) Science - Four Units
29 (a) Biology I.
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HB NO. 635
1 (b) Chemistry I.
2 (c) Two units chosen from the following: Earth Science; Environmental
3 Science; Physical Science; Agriscience I and Agriscience II (one unit combined);
4 Chemistry II, AP Chemistry, or IB Chemistry II; AP Environmental Science, or IB
5 Environmental Systems; Physics I, AP Physics I, AP Physics B, or IB Physics I; AP
6 Physics C: Electricity and Magnetism, AP Physics C: Mechanics, IB Physics II, or
7 AP Physics II; Biology II, AP Biology, or IB Biology II.
8 (4) Social Studies - Four Units
9 (a) One unit chosen from the following: U.S. History, AP US History, or IB
10 US History.
11 (b) One unit chosen from the following: Civics, Government, AP US
12 Government and Politics: Comparative, AP US Government and Politics: United
13 States.
14 (c) Two units chosen from the following: Western Civilization, European
15 History, or AP European History; World Geography, AP Human Geography, or IB
16 Geography; World History, AP World History, or World History IB; History of
17 Religion; IB Economics, Economics, AP Macroeconomics, or AP Microeconomics.
18 (5) Foreign Language - two units in the same language, which may include
19 the following: AP Chinese Language and Culture, AP French Language and Culture,
20 AP German Language and Culture, AP Italian Language and Culture, AP Japanese
21 Language and Culture, AP Latin, AP Spanish Language and Culture, French IV IB,
22 French V IB, Spanish IV IB, and Spanish V IB.
23 (6) Art - one unit chosen from the following: Performance course in Music,
24 Dance, or Theatre; Fine Arts Survey; Art I, II, III, and IV; Talented Art I, II, III, and
25 IV; Talented Music I, II, III, and IV; Talented Theater Arts I, II, III, and IV; Speech
26 III and Speech IV (one unit combined); AP Art History; AP Studio Art: 2-D Design;
27 AP Studio Art: 3-D Design; AP Studio Art: Drawing; AP Music Theory; Film Study
28 I IB; Film Study II IB; Music I IB; Music II IB; Art Design III IB; Art Design IV IB;
29 Theatre I IB; or Drafting.
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HB NO. 635
1 (7) For the purposes of this Section, any core curriculum course that is taken
2 by a student who has been identified as gifted pursuant to State Board of Elementary
3 and Secondary Education policy and that is taken in fulfillment of the student's
4 Individualized Education Program shall be considered a gifted course and shall fulfill
5 the core curriculum requirement in its given subject area.
DIGEST
The digest printed below was prepared by House Legislative Services. It constitutes no part
of the legislative instrument. The keyword, one-liner, abstract, and digest do not constitute
part of the law or proof or indicia of legislative intent. [R.S. 1:13(B) and 24:177(E)]
HB 635 Original 2021 Regular Session Glover
Abstract: Provides that a course in African American History shall satisfy certain
requirements relative to qualification for certain Taylor Opportunity Program for
Students (TOPS) awards.
Present law provides for TOPS as a program of merit scholarships for students attending
certain postsecondary education institutions who meet specific initial eligibility
requirements, including academic requirements pertaining to grade point average, ACT
score, and a specified high school core curriculum.
For a student to be eligible for an Opportunity, Performance, or Honors Award:
Present law requires four units of social studies, as follows:
(1)One unit chosen from the following: U.S. History, AP US History, or IB US
History.
(2)One unit chosen from the following: Civics, Government, AP US Government and
Politics: Comparative, AP US Government and Politics: United States.
(3)Two units chosen from the following: Western Civilization, European History, or
AP European History; World Geography, AP Human Geography, or IB Geography;
World History, AP World History, or World History IB; History of Religion; IB
Economics, Economics, AP Macroeconomics, or AP Microeconomics.
Proposed law, applicable to students graduating from high school during the 2021-22 school
year or thereafter, adds African American History to the list of courses in (3) above and
otherwise retains present law.
(Amends R.S. 17:5025(intro. para.) and (4)(c); Adds R.S. 17:5025.4)
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