HB 751 — Career and College Ready/High School Grads.

GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA SESSION 2017 H 21 HOUSE BILL 751 Committee Substitute Favorable 4/25/17 Short Title:

Representatives Blackwell, Horn, and Johnson (Primary Sponsors).

For a complete list of sponsors, refer to the North Carolina General Assembly web site.

Education - K-12 April 13, 2017 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED AN ACT TO REQUIRE ALL STUDENTS WHO RECEIVE A HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA ENDORSEMENT TO DEMONSTRATE A CERTAIN LEVEL OF READING ACHIEVEMENTACHIEVEMENT. AND TO REQUIRE THE SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION TO STUDY BEST PRACTICES TO ENSURE STUDENTS COMPLETE HIGH SCHOOL WITH THE NECESSARY LITERACY SKILLS FOR CAREER AND COLLEGE READINESS.

AFor studentthe shallpurposes onlyof receiveawarding aany of the high school diploma endorsementendorsements, ifthe thatState studentBoard receivesshall require students to have received on a nationally norm-referenced college admissions test for reading, either administered under G.S.

A student may retake a nationally norm-referenced test as many times as necessary to achieve the required benchmark score for reading in order to receive a high school diploma endorsement prior to the student's graduation.exit from high school.

The State Board of Education shall report annually to the Joint Legislative Education Oversight Committee on (i) the impact of awarding these endorsements on high school graduation, college acceptance and remediation, and post-high school employment rates.rates, (ii) the number of students who had to retake a nationally norm-referenced college admissions test to meet the reading benchmark score required by this subdivisionsubdivision, to receive a high school diploma *H751-v-2* General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2017 endorsement, and (iii) the number of students who were not awarded a high school diploma endorsement solely *H751-v-1* General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2017 because of the inability to meet the benchmark score for reading as required by this subdivision." SECTION 2.

TheThis Superintendentact ofis Publiceffective Instructionwhen shallit studybecomes law and makeapplies recommendationsbeginning onwith besthigh practicesschool fordiploma publicendorsements schoolsawarded in the State2018-2019 to improve reading comprehension, understanding, and application for students in grades four through 12 to ensure that students complete high school withyear. literacy skills necessary for career and college readiness.

ThePage study2 shallHouse includeBill recommendations751-First onEdition appropriate methods to monitor student progress and provide appropriate and timely remediation to students to ensure success on nationally norm-referenced college admissions tests.

The Superintendent may appoint an advisory group to assist and advise in this study that may include superintendents, principals, reading instructors, representatives from research institutions, and other individuals as determined by the Superintendent.

The Superintendent may contract with an independent research organization from funds available to the Department of Public Instruction to assist in the study.

The Superintendent shall report to the Joint Legislative Education Oversight Committee, the President Pro Tempore of the Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and the State Board of Education on the study, including any findings and recommendations, no later than January 15, 2019.

The State Board of Education may use the findings and recommendations to inform the Board's policies and may submit additional comments on the report to the Joint Legislative Education Oversight Committee, the President Pro Tempore of the Senate, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives no later than February 15, 2019.

SECTION 3.

This act is effective when it becomes law and applies beginning with high school diploma endorsements awarded in the 2019-2020 school year.

Page 2 House Bill 751-Second Edition