GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA

SESSION 1999

H	1 

HOUSE BILL 963

Short Title:  Finish Smart.	(Public)

─────────────────────────────────────── 
Sponsors: Representatives Daughtry; Allred, Arnold, Baker, Barbee, Berry, Brown, Brubaker, Buchanan, Cansler, Capps, Clary, Culp, Davis, Decker, Dockham, Ellis, Esposito, Gardner, Gillespie, Grady, Gray, Gulley, Hiatt, Holmes, Howard, McComas, McCombs, McMahan, Miner, Mitchell, Morris, Preston, Rayfield, Russell, Setzer, Sexton, Starnes, Teague, Thompson, Walend, C. Wilson, and G. Wilson.

─────────────────────────────────────── 
Referred to:  Education.

─────────────────────────────────────── 

April 12, 1999

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT TO DIRECT THE STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION TO DEVELOP AND IMPLEMENT A HIGH SCHOOL EXIT EXAMINATION THAT REFLECTS A TWELFTH GRADE PROFICIENCY LEVEL AND TO DEVELOP A PLAN TO PROVIDE INTENSIVE CLASSROOM INSTRUCTION TO STUDENTS WHO ARE AT RISK OF NOT PASSING THE TWELFTH GRADE EXAM.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
Section 1.  G.S. 115C-174.21 is amended by adding the following new subsection to read:
"( d)	High School Exit Examination. – The State Board of Education shall develop, validate, and adopt a test that measures reading, writing, and mathematics at the twelfth grade level.  The test shall be administered annually no earlier than the last two months of twelfth grade so as to assure that high school graduates possess the skills and knowledge necessary to function independently and successfully in assuming the responsibilities of citizenship.  Beginning April 1, 2003, students must attain at least a twelfth grade proficiency level in reading, writing, and mathematics on this test to receive a high school diploma.  The General Assembly intends to appropriate funds so that local boards of education can provide intensive classroom instruction in reading, writing, and mathematics to students who may fail to attain a twelfth grade proficiency on the high school exit examination developed under this subsection.  The State Board shall develop a plan to enable local boards of education to provide this instruction to students.  The plan shall include: (i) ways to identify students who will need this intensive instruction; (ii) a review and identification of funds currently available that may be used to provide this instruction; (iii) an evaluation of whether the current funding categories should be restructured in order to provide local boards with greater flexibility to provide this instruction; (iv) the identification of courses that could be modified or supplemented in order to provide this instruction; (v) the development of coursework designed to enable students to attain a twelfth grade level of proficiency on the high school exit examination; and (vi) recommendations to address the effective incorporation of this instruction into the school day.  The Board shall develop this plan no later than December 1, 1999, and shall disseminate it to local boards of education.  Local boards shall begin to offer the instruction no later than the 2000-2001 school year."
Section 2.  G.S. 115C-12 is amended by adding the following new subdivision to read:
"(29)	The State Board shall report annually by February 1 to the Joint Legislative Education Oversight Committee on its implementation of G.S. 115C-174.21(d).  The initial report shall include any requests for (i) statutory changes needed to implement that law, (ii) funds needed to develop, validate, and implement the test developed under that law, and (iii) funds needed to implement the plan developed under that law.  The initial report also shall include recommendations to address the needs of children with disabilities in order to enable them to achieve a twelfth grade level of proficiency in reading, writing, and mathematics.  These recommendations may include a substitute or alternative test that could be administered to these students, the modification of current course and testing requirements for a high school diploma, or an alternative diploma for these students."
Section 3.  This act is effective when it becomes law.