An Act To Increase Maine's High School Graduation Rates
Maine Legislature, Session 124, LD 1658
Sponsors: ALFOND, SUTHERLAND, BARTLETT, MITCHELL, PERRY, BERRY, PINGREE, STRANG BURGESS

MAINE STATE LEGISLATURE 
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124thMAIN 
CORRECTED COPY 
Dece~ber 23, 2009 
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L.D. 1658 that does not have 
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LEGISLATURE 
Legislative Document 
No. 1658 
S.P.623 
In Senate, December 24, 2009 
An Act To Increase Maine's High School Graduation Rates 
Approved for introduction by a majority of the Legislative Council pursuant to Joint Rule 
203. 
Reference to the COmInittee on Education and Cultural Affairs suggested and ordered 
printed. 
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Presented by Senator ALFOND of Cumberland .. 
Cosponsored by Representative SUTHERLAND of Chapman and 
JOY J. O'BRIEN 
Secretary of the Senate 
Senators: BARTLETT of Cumberland, President MITCHELL of Kennebec, PERRY of 
Penobscot, Representatives: BERRY of Bowdoinham, Speaker PINGREE of North Haven, 
STRANG BURGESS of Cumberland. 
Printed on recycled pilper 
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: 
Sec. 1. 20-A MRSA c. 211, sub-c. I-B is enacted to read: 
SUBCHAPTER I-B 
HIGHSCHOOL GRADUATION RATE 
§5031. High. school graduation rate 
It is the goal of the State to achieve an average statewide secondary school graduation 
rate of 90% by the end of the 2015-2016 school year. The state boardshall adopt rules 
specifYing the methodology to be used to calculate secondalY school graduation rates 
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through 2016. Rules adopted under this section are major substantive rules pursllant. to 
Title 5, chapter 375, subchapter 2-A and must be provisionally adopted and submitted to 
the Legislature for review no later than January 14, 201 I . 
Sec. 2. Stakeholder group. The Commissioner of Education and the State Board 
of Education shall collaborativi Iy 
establish 
a stakeholder group to develop 
recommendations relating to increasing secondary school graduation rates rn the State. 
The stakeholder group must include, but is not .limited to, members of local school 
boal'ds, secondary school principals and superintendents, secondary school teachers and 
guidance counselors, school attendance coordinators and other persons the commissioner 
and the board determine will contribute to the development (if effective policies relating 
to increasing secondary school gradu~tion rates. The stakeholder group shall report its 
recommendations to the joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction 
over education matters by January 10, 2011. The report must include, but is not limited 
to, recommendations relating to: 
1. The establishment of guidelines for school suspensions and expulsions; 
2. The impact and implementation of zero-tolerance practices; 
3. 
Determining best practices for secondary schools, families and youth for 
increasing secondary school graduation rates; and 
4. Raising the maximum age of mandatory school attendance from 17 to 18 years of 
age. 
SUMMARY 
This bill establishes the state goal of achieving an average statewide secondary 
school graduation rate of 90% by the end of the 2015-2016 school year. The State Board 
of-Education is required to provisionally adopt major substantive rules specifying the 
methodology to be· used to calculate secondary school graduation rates through 2016 and 
to suhmit those rules for legislative review by January 14, 2011. 
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The bill also requires the, Commissjoner of Education and the State Board of 
Education to establish a stakeholder group to develop recommendations relating to 
increasing secondalY school graduation rates in the State and to report its findings to the 
joint standing con~mittee of the Legislature, having jurisdiction over education matters by 
J anLlary 10, 20 I I.