Resolve, Directing the Department of Education To Develop a Process To Provide Alternative Pathways To Learning for Certain High School Students
Maine Legislature, Session 126, LD 1083
Committee: Education and Cultural Affairs
Sponsors: MASON

Legislative Document 
No. 1083 
S.P. 365 
In Senate, March 19, 2013 
Resolve, Directing the Department of Education To Develop a 
Process To Provide Alternative Pathways To Learning for Certain 
High School Students 
Reference to the Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs suggested and ordered 
printed. 
DAREK M. GRANT 
Secretary of the Senate 
Presented by Senator MASON of Androscoggin. 
Sec. 1.  Review; develop process.  Resolved: That the Commissioner of 
Education, referred to in this resolve as "the commissioner," shall review the issues 
presented when secondary school students, after repeated school interventions and 
individualized, targeted efforts, continue to be habitually disruptive in the classroom.  
The commissioner shall examine the impact of the presence of such students on the rest 
of the classroom and the school community and shall assess the benefits and detriments to 
those students and to those schools of requiring continued school attendance by those 
students.  The commissioner shall examine the establishment of an exemption from the 
laws governing compulsory school attendance and shall develop a process to identify 
those secondary school students who, because of the students' recurring discipline issues, 
might benefit from exemption from the laws governing compulsory school attendance.  
The commissioner shall identify potential options for alternative pathways to successful 
learning for such students, including but not limited to trade apprenticeships, internships 
and independent learning leading to high school equivalency certification, and shall 
examine ways to ensure that information regarding these alternative pathways is made 
available to such students; and be it further 
Sec. 2.  Report.  Resolved: That the commissioner shall submit a report of the 
findings under section 1, together with any necessary implementing legislation, to the 
Joint Standing Committee on Education no later than December 4, 2013. The committee 
may submit a bill based on the commissioner's report to the Second Regular Session of 
the 126th Legislature.  
SUMMARY 
This resolve directs the Commissioner of Education to review the issues presented 
when secondary school students, after repeated school interventions and individualized, 
targeted efforts, continue to be habitually disruptive in the classroom.  The resolve directs 
the commissioner to examine the impact of the presence of such students on the rest of 
the classroom and the school community and develop a process to identify secondary 
school students who, because of the students' recurring discipline issues, might benefit 
from exemption from the laws governing compulsory school attendance.  The resolve 
directs the commissioner to identify potential options for alternative pathways to 
successful learning for such students, including but not limited to trade apprenticeships, 
internships and independent learning leading to high school equivalency certification, and 
examine ways to ensure that information regarding these alternative pathways is made 
available to such students.