Source: http://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?161+ful+HB895+hil
Timestamp: 2019-01-22 16:54:03
Document Index: 512476181

Matched Legal Cases: ['§ 22', '§ 22', '§ 22', '§ 22', '§ 22', '§ 22', '§ 22', '§ 22', '§ 22', '§ 22', 'in fine', '§ 22']

16100720D
HOUSE BILL NO. 895 Offered January 13, 2016 Prefiled January 12, 2016 A BILL to amend and reenact §§ 22.1-129.1, 22.1-199.4, 22.1-209.1:3, 22.1-227.1, 22.1-253.13:3, and 22.1-253.13:4 of the Code of Virginia, relating to the Board of Education; high school graduation requirements. ---------- Patrons-- Greason, Landes, Yancey, Bulova, Keam and Wilt ---------- Referred to Committee on Education ----------
1. That §§ 22.1-129.1, 22.1-199.4, 22.1-209.1:3, 22.1-227.1, 22.1-253.13:3, and 22.1-253.13:4 of the Code of Virginia are amended and reenacted as follows:
§ 22.1-129.1. Transfer of assistive technology devices.
"Assistive technology device" means any device, including equipment or a product system, which is used to increase, maintain, or improve functional capabilities of a child with a disability. Assistive technology device shall not include surgically implanted medical devices, such as cochlear implants.
"Child with a disability" means the same as that term is defined in § 22.1-213.
"Transfer" means the process by which a school division that has purchased an assistive technology device may sell, lease, donate, or loan the device pursuant to subsection B.
B. An assistive technology device may be transferred to (i) the school division to which a child with a disability transfers from the school division that purchased the device; (ii) a state agency, including the Department for Aging and Rehabilitative Services, that provides services to a child with a disability following the child's graduation with a standard or advanced studies diploma or when a school division ceases to provide special education services for the student; or (iii) the parents of a child with a disability, or the child with a disability if the child with a disability is age 18 or older and has capacity to enter into a contract.
§ 22.1-199.4. At-Risk Student Academic Achievement Program and Fund.
A. From such funds as may be appropriated for such purpose and from such gifts, donations, grants, bequests, and other funds as may be received on its behalf, there is hereby established the At-Risk Student Academic Achievement Program, to be administered by the Board of Education, and a special nonreverting fund within the Department of the Treasury known as the At-Risk Student Academic Achievement Fund, hereafter referred to as the "Fund." The Fund shall be established on the books of the Comptroller, and any moneys remaining in such Fund at the end of the biennium shall not revert to the general fund but shall remain in the Fund. Interest earned on such funds shall remain in the Fund and be credited to it.
The Department of the Treasury shall administer and manage the Fund, subject to the authority of the Board of Education to provide for its disbursement. The Fund shall be disbursed to award noncompetitive grants to public school divisions to implement research-based programs or programs identified as best practices that are designed to (i) improve the academic achievement of at-risk public school students on the Standards of Learning assessments; (ii) and decrease the rate of dropout among at-risk public school students; and (iii) increase the number of such students obtaining the advanced studies diploma.
B. The amount of grants and required local matching funds shall be determined as provided in the appropriation act.
Funds received through this Program shall be used to supplement, not supplant, any local funds currently provided for at-risk programs within the school division.
C. The Board may issue guidelines governing the Program as it deems necessary and appropriate.
§ 22.1-209.1:3. Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID) Programs.
A. With such funds as may be appropriated by the General Assembly for this purpose, local school boards may establish Advancement Via Individual Determination Programs in their respective school divisions to prepare at-risk students enrolled in the secondary grades in the public schools of the school division for post-secondary education eligibility.
B. Any school board adopting the Advancement Via Individual Determination Program shall establish policies and guidelines to ensure compliance with the provisions of this section. Programs established pursuant to subsection A shall include the following components:
1. A procedure for identifying at-risk students enrolled in the secondary grades in the public schools of the school division who demonstrate academic potential, a desire to attend college, and the willingness to pursue a rigorous academic program of study or the advanced studies program leading to eligibility for college admission;
2. A procedure for obtaining participation in or support for the program by the parent, guardian or other person having charge or control of a child engaged in the program;
3. An agreement executed with a two-year or four-year institution of higher education located within or in the proximity of the school division to provide relevant support services including, but not limited to, access to advanced course work, student mentorships and tutorials, and cultural and enrichment experiences;
4. A curriculum developed for intensive, accelerated instruction designed to establish high standards and academic achievement for participating students;
5. An emphasis on college preparation and college awareness, access to advanced level college preparatory courses at the high school level, building self-esteem and the promotion of personal and social responsibility, the availability of support services for students enrolled in the AVID Program, and the development and fostering of a positive attitude toward learning and the advantages of higher education;
6. A low pupil-teacher ratio to promote a high level of interaction between the students and the teacher;
7. A current program of staff development and training in the organizational structure, instructional methods, strategies, and process used in and unique to the AVID Program for all teachers and administrators assigned to the program;
8. Community outreach to build strong school, business, and community partnerships, and to promote parental involvement in the educational process of participating children;
9. Specific, measurable goals and objectives and an evaluation component to determine the program's effectiveness in preparing students participating in the program for college, increasing academic achievement, and lessening the need for remediation of such students who attend college.
C. Upon completion of the initial school year of the Advancement Via Individual Determination Program and at least annually thereafter, each school board implementing such program shall require submission of interim evaluation reports of the program. If funded by an appropriation pursuant to subsection A, each school board having an Advancement Via Individual Determination Program shall report the status, effectiveness, and results of such program no later than November 30 of the year following the completion of the initial school year to the Board of Education, which shall transmit such reports to the Governor and the General Assembly.
§ 22.1-227.1. Career and technical education.
A. The Board of Education shall incorporate into career and technical education the Standards of Learning for mathematics, science, English, and social studies, including history, and other subject areas as may be appropriate. The Board may also authorize, in its regulations for accrediting public schools in Virginia, the substitution of industry certification and state licensure examinations for Standards of Learning assessments for the purpose of awarding verified units of credit for career and technical education courses, where appropriate.
D. The Board shall develop guidelines for the establishment of High School to Work Partnerships, hereafter referred to as "Partnerships," between public high schools and local businesses to create opportunities for students who may not seek further education after high school to (i) participate in an apprenticeship, internship, or job shadow program in a variety of trades and skilled labor positions or (ii) tour local businesses and meet with owners and employees. These guidelines shall include a model waiver form to be used by high schools and local businesses in connection with Partnership programs to protect both the students and the businesses from liability.
Each local school board may encourage the local school division's career and technical education administrator or his designee to collaborate with the guidance counselor office of each public high school in the Commonwealth to establish Partnerships and to educate the student body about available opportunities.
A. Each local school board shall award diplomas to all secondary school students, including students who transfer from nonpublic schools or from home instruction, who earn the units of credit meet the requirements prescribed by the Board of Education, pass the prescribed tests, and meet such other requirements as may be prescribed by the local school board and approved by the Board of Education. Provisions shall be made to facilitate the transfer and appropriate grade placement of students from other public secondary schools, from nonpublic schools, or from home instruction as outlined in the standards for accreditation. Course credits earned for online courses taken in the Department of Education's Virtual Virginia program shall transfer to Virginia public schools in accordance with provisions of the The standards for accreditation shall include provisions relating to the completion of graduation requirements through Virtual Virginia. Further, reasonable accommodation to meet the requirements for diplomas shall be provided for otherwise qualified students with disabilities as needed.
Each local school board shall notify the parents of rising eleventh and twelfth grade students of (i) the number and subject area requirements of standard and verified units of credit required requirements for graduation pursuant to the standards for accreditation and (ii) the remaining number and subject area requirements of such units of credit that have yet to be completed by the individual student requires for graduation.
Each local school board shall notify the parent of such students with disabilities who have an individualized education program and who fail to meet the graduation requirements for a standard or advanced studies diploma of the student's right to a free and appropriate education to age 21, inclusive, pursuant to Article 2 (§ 22.1-213 et seq.) of Chapter 13.
Each local school board shall provide notification of the right to a free public education for students who have not reached 20 years of age on or before August 1 of the school year, pursuant to Chapter 1 (§ 22.1-1 et seq.), to the parent of students who fail to graduate or who have failed to achieve the number of verified units of credit required for graduation requirements as provided in the standards for accreditation. If such student who does not graduate or achieve complete such verified units of credit requirements is a student for whom English is a second language, the local school board shall notify the parent of the student's opportunity for a free public education in accordance with § 22.1-5.
D. In establishing course and credit graduation requirements for a high school diploma, the Board shall:
3. Establish and require students to follow in the later years of high school alternative paths toward college and career readiness that include opportunities for internships, externships, and credentialing.
4. Provide for the selection of integrated learning courses meeting the Standards of Learning and approved by the Board to satisfy graduation credit requirements, which shall include Standards of Learning testing, as necessary.
2. Establish the requirements for a standard and an advanced studies high school diploma, which shall each include 5. Require students to complete at least one credit course in fine or performing arts or career and technical education and, one credit course in United States and Virginia history. The requirements for a standard high school diploma shall, however, include at least, and two sequential electives elective courses chosen from a concentration of courses selected from a variety of options that may be planned to ensure the completion of a focused sequence of elective courses. Such focused sequence of elective courses shall provide that provides a foundation for further education or training or preparation for employment. The advanced studies diploma shall be the recommended diploma for students pursuing baccalaureate study. Both the standard and the advanced studies diploma shall prepare students for post-secondary education and the career readiness required by the Commonwealth's economy.
Beginning with first-time ninth grade students in the 2013-2014 school year, requirements for the standard diploma shall include a requirement to 6. Graduation requirements shall include a requirement that students either (i) complete an Advanced Placement, honors, or International Baccalaureate course or (ii) earn a career and technical education credential that has been approved by the Board, except when a career and technical education credential in a particular subject area is not readily available or appropriate or does not adequately measure student competency, in which case the student shall receive satisfactory competency-based instruction in the subject area to satisfy the standard diploma requirements earn credit. The career and technical education credential, when required, could include the successful completion of an industry certification, a state licensure examination, a national occupational competency assessment, or the Virginia workplace readiness skills assessment.
7. Beginning with first-time ninth grade students in the 2016-2017 school year, requirements for the standard and advanced diplomas shall include a requirement require students to be trained in emergency first aid, cardiopulmonary resuscitation, and the use of automated external defibrillators, including hands-on practice of the skills necessary to perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation.
The Board shall make 8. Make provision in its regulations for students with disabilities to earn a standard diploma.
3. Provide, in the requirements to earn a standard or advanced studies diploma, the successful completion of 9. Require students to complete one virtual course. The virtual course, which may be a noncredit-bearing course.
4. 10. Provide, in the requirements for the verified units of credit stipulated for obtaining the standard or advanced studies diploma, that students completing who complete elective classes into which the Standards of Learning for any required course have been integrated may take and achieve a passing score on the relevant Standards of Learning test for the relevant required course and receive, upon achieving a satisfactory score on the specific Standards of Learning assessment, a verified unit of credit for such elective class that shall be deemed to satisfy the Board's requirement for verified credit for the required course.
5. 11. Establish a procedure to facilitate the acceleration of students that allows qualified students, with the recommendation of the division superintendent, without completing the 140-hour class, to obtain credit for such class upon demonstration of demonstrating mastery of the course content and objectives. Having received credit for the course, the student shall be permitted to sit for the relevant Standards of Learning assessment and, upon receiving a passing score, shall earn a verified credit on the relevant Standards of Learning assessment. Nothing in this section shall preclude relevant school division personnel from enforcing compulsory attendance in public schools.
6. 12. Provide for the award of verified units of credit for passing scores on industry certifications, state licensure examinations, and national occupational competency assessments approved by the Board of Education.
7. 13. Provide for the waiver of certain graduation requirements (i) upon the Board's initiative or (ii) at the request of a local school board. Such waivers shall be granted only for good cause and shall be considered on a case-by-case basis.
8. 14. Consider all computer science course credits earned by students to be science course credits, mathematics course credits, or career and technical education credits. The Board of Education shall develop guidelines addressing how computer science courses can satisfy graduation requirements.
9. 15. Permit local school divisions to waive the requirement for students to receive 140 clock hours of instruction to earn a standard unit of credit upon providing the Board with satisfactory proof, based on Board guidelines, that the students for whom such requirements are waived have learned the content and skills included in the relevant Standards of Learning.
F. The Board shall establish, by regulation, requirements for the award of a general achievement adult high school diploma for those persons who are not subject to the compulsory school attendance requirements of § 22.1-254 and have (i) achieved a passing score on a high school equivalency examination approved by the Board of Education; (ii) successfully completed an education and training program designated by the Board of Education; (iii) earned a Board of Education-approved career and technical education credential such as the successful completion of an industry certification, a state licensure examination, a national occupational competency assessment, or the Virginia workplace readiness skills assessment; and (iv) satisfied other requirements as may be established by the Board for the award of such diploma.
G. (Effective until July 1, 2016) To ensure the uniform assessment of high school graduation rates, the Board shall collect, analyze, and report high school graduation and dropout data using a formula prescribed by the Board.
G. (Effective July 1, 2016) To ensure the uniform assessment of high school graduation rates, the Board shall collect, analyze, report, and make available to the public high school graduation and dropout data using a formula prescribed by the Board.
H. (Effective July 1, 2016) The Board shall also collect, analyze, report, and make available to the public high school graduation and dropout data using a formula that excludes any student who fails to graduate because such student is in the custody of the Department of Corrections, the Department of Juvenile Justice, or local law enforcement. For the purposes of the Standards of Accreditation, the Board shall use the graduation rate required by this subsection.
I. (Effective July 1, 2016) The Board may promulgate such regulations as may be necessary and appropriate for the collection, analysis, and reporting of such data required by subsections G and H.
2. That the Board of Education shall establish graduation requirements pursuant to this act no later than September 1, 2017, and that such requirements shall apply to each student who enrolls in high school as (i) a freshman after July 1, 2018, (ii) a sophomore after July 1, 2019, (iii) a junior after July 1, 2020, or (iv) a senior after July 1, 2021.