HB294: HB294 Quality Basic Education Act; require State Board of Education to review and update policies, guidelines, and processes for awarding units of high school credit to students based on a demonstration of subject area competency

25 LC 49 1958 House Bill 294 By: Representatives Miller of the 62nd, Glaize of the 67th, Carter of the 93rd, McQueen of the 61st, Berry of the 56th, and others A BILL TO BE ENTITLED AN ACT To amend Part 3 of Article 6 of Chapter 2 of Title 20 of the Of ficial Code of Georgia1 Annotated, relating to educational programs under the "Quality Basic Education Act," so as2 to require the State Board of Education to review and update, a s necessary, policies,3 guidelines, and processes for awarding units of high school cre dit to students based on a4 demonstration of subject area competency; to include internatio nal baccalaureate exams5 among the assessments to be identified by the State Board of Ed ucation for students to6 demonstrate subject area competency; to prohibit the State School Superintendent from being7 authorized to deny, delay, or otherwise interfere with the approval of any performance based8 assessment identified and approved by the State Board of Education; to provide for statutory9 construction; to provide for applicability; to provide for rela ted matters; to provide for an10 effective date; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.11 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:12 SECTION 1.13 Part 3 of Article 6 of Chapter 2 of Title 20 of the Official Co de of Georgia Annotated,14 relating to educational programs under the "Quality Basic Educa tion Act," is amended by15 H. B. 294 - 1 - 25 LC 49 1958 revising Code Section 20-2-159.4, relating to policies and guidelines for awarding units of16 high school credit based on demonstrated proficiency, as follows:17 "20-2-159.4.18 (a) By August 1, 2025, the The State Board of Education, in consultation with the Board19 of Regents of the University System of Georgia and the State Bo ard of the Technical20 College System of Georgia, shall adopt review and update, as necessary, policies and21 establish guidelines for awarding units of high school credit to student s based on a22 demonstration of subject area competency, instead of or in combination with completion23 of courses of classroom instruction. Such policies and guidelines shall clearly delineate the24 manner in which students can earn credit, how mastery of standards will be assessed, how25 locally developed assessments will be reviewed and approved, ho w such credit will be26 recorded on high school transcripts, and when outcomes as a res ult of these policies and27 guidelines will be reviewed. The state board shall adopt such policies and establish28 guidelines, and such policies and guidelines shall be applicabl e beginning with the29 2013-2014 2025-2026 school year.30 (b) Students may earn credits through:31 (1) The completion of courses; or32 (2) The testing out or otherwise demonstrating mastery of the course content.33 (c) The state board shall identify assessments, including various commercial assessments,34 for immediate use for students to demonstrate subject area comp etency, which may35 include, but not be limited to:36 (1) Advanced placement exams;37 (2) ACT course assessment;38 (3) Industry-specific certificates and industry credentialing, as defined in Code Section39 20-2-326, for career, technical, and agricultural education courses;40 (4) College Level Examination Program (CLEP) exams; and41 (5) Nationally recognized foreign language performance assessments; and42 H. B. 294 - 2 - 25 LC 49 1958 (6) International baccalaureate exams administered in conjunction with the completion43 of an international baccalaureate diploma program.44 (d) The state board shall establish a process for reviewing and ap proving performance45 based assessments developed commercially, by the state, or by a local school system. 46 Initially, the state board shall limit the number of credits earned though such educational47 options to three credits per student until the practice is prov en to yield student outcomes48 at least equivalent to those found in standard seat-time course s. The policy shall ensure49 that credit for demonstrated proficiency is reported on student transcripts in the same way50 that seat-time credit is recorded. The state board shall review such policy after three years51 to determine if student outcomes from these educational options are equivalent to, if not52 better than, student outcomes in traditional courses.53 (e) No policy, guideline, and process established by the state board pursuant to this Code54 section shall authorize the State School Superintendent to deny , delay, or otherwise55 interfere with the approval of any performance based assessment identified and approved56 by the state board pursuant to subsections (c) and (d) of this Code section.57 (d)(f) Each local school system shall comply with the state board's plan policies,58 guidelines, and processes adopted pursuant to this Code section and shall award units of59 high school credit in accordance with such plan policies, guidelines, and processes. Local60 boards of education and charter schools other public school governing bodies shall61 establish implementation policies and shall be prohibited from setting policies that negate62 or otherwise prohibit access to such plan impede compliance with such policies, guidelines,63 and processes.64 (g) Nothing in this Code section shall be construed to require any local school system or65 public school to include any advanced placement or internationa l baccalaureate course66 among the courses that are available to students enrolled in su ch local school system or67 public school."68 H. B. 294 - 3 - 25 LC 49 1958 SECTION 2.69 This Act shall become effective on July 1, 2025.70 SECTION 3.71 All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.72 H. B. 294 - 4 -