LESN Fall Seminar
Chicago, Illinois
December 9-10, 2005
High School Reform Initiatives in the States - Examples of Legislation
Dual Enrollment Programs
Career and Technical Education
Career Guidance/Individual Graduation Plans
Dropout Prevention
P-16 Education Council or Commission
Statewide Data Systems
Virtual Schools
Statewide College-Prep Curriculum
Indiana: SB 200 (2005) - Beginning with the class of 2011, students in Indiana must complete a college-preparatory curriculum, known as the "Core 40", to earn a diploma unless their parents sign an opt-out consent form.
Oklahoma: SB 982 (2005) - Beginning with the class of 2012, Oklahoma's Achieving Classroom Excellence measure requires high school students to take a college-bound curriculum to receive a diploma unless their parents sign an opt-out consent form.
Missouri: SB 371 (2003) - Helps high school juniors and seniors pay for advanced placement course and college credit classes. The Missouri Higher Education Loan Authority provides loans to qualified students to cover tuition costs and expenses.
Wisconsin: AB 183 (2003) - Allows any eligible student in 11th or 12th grade to take courses at an institution of higher education or a technical college to receive both high school and college credit. While the school district must pay for tuition, fees, books and other necessary supplies, if the student receives a failing grade or does not complete the course, the student is required to reimburse the school district.
Virginia: SB 553 (2004) - Authorizes school boards to create joint or regional schools offering a specialized curriculum leading to a high school diploma and a postsecondary credential, such as industry certification, career certificate or a degree.
Washington: SB 5505 (2003) - Requires all public high schools in the state to provide a program for students who plan to pursue career or work opportunities after receiving their high school diploma, with the goal of helping students demonstrate occupation-specific skills to prepare for industry certification or for entry into postsecondary education and training programs.
Iowa: SF 245 (2005) - Requires school boards to assist eighth graders with planning to develop a core curriculum plan, and requires boards to report each year to students in grades 9-12 and their parents regarding student progress.
South Carolina: HB 3155 (2005) - Establishes the South Carolina Education and Economic Development Act. Provides for the development of a curriculum organized around a career cluster system that must provide students with both strong academics and real-world problem solving skills. Requires the department of education to develop a guidance and counseling model that provides standards and strategies for school districts to use and follow in developing and implementing a comprehensive guidance and counseling program for pre-K through 12th grade students. Requires eighth grade students, in consultation with their parents, to select a preferred cluster of study and develop an individual graduation plan.
Colorado: SB 164 (2005) - Requires districts to provide written notification to parents of a high school dropout with the goal of returning the student to school and of conveying the long-term ramifications of dropping out of high school.
Virginia: HB 1013 (2004) - Creates the At-Risk Student Academic Achievement Program and Fund. Public school divisions will receive grants to implement programs that are intended to improve achievement of at-risk students, decrease the high school drop-out rate, and increase the number of students who receive advanced studies diplomas.
Texas: SB 976 (2003) - Establishes a Middle College Education Pilot Program for students who are at-risk of dropping out of high school. The Middle College Education Program will provide flexible scheduling and mentor programs to at-risk youth. Schools will be required to review studies on drop-out prevention as part of their school improvement plans.
Arkansas: HB 1034 (2003) - Creates the Commission for Coordination of Educational Efforts, with the mission of recommending policies to improve the transition from prekindergarten through college. The commission, comprised of state education agency directors, representatives from higher education, public schools, education associations and the director of the Department of Economic Development, is required to meet quarterly and to provide an annual report to the governor, the state board of education, senate and house committees on education, and higher education boards to detail their findings and progress.
Ohio: SB 6 (2005) - Establishes the "Partnership for Continued Learning" to promote systematic approaches to align preschool through postsecondary education.
Ohio: SB 3 (2003) - Requires the department to use a system designed for collecting necessary data, calculating the value-added progress dimension, analyzing data, and generating reports, which system has been used previously by a non-profit organization led by the Ohio business community for at least one year in the operation of a pilot program in cooperation with districts to collect and report student achievement data via electronic means and to provide information to the districts regarding the academic performance of individual students, grade levels, school buildings, and the districts as a whole.
Georgia: SB 33 (2005) - Authorizes the State Board of Education to establish the Georgia Virtual School whereby students may enroll in state funded courses via the Internet or in any other manner not involving on-site interaction with a teacher. Any Georgia student who is age 21 or younger is eligible to enroll in the Georgia Virtual School, at no cost to the student, provided that public school students are given priority.
Oregon: SB 1071 (2005) - Creates the Oregon Virtual School District within the Department of Education to provide online courses to kindergarten through grade 12 public school students. Requires the Oregon Virtual School District to provide online courses that meet Oregon academic content standards. Requires that any person who teaches an online course must be properly licensed or registered.
Contact: Sunny Kristin, Policy Specialist, National Conference of State Legislatures, Denver, Colorado
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