Bill Text: MS HB349 | 2017 | Regular Session | Introduced

Mississippi House Bill 349 (Prior Session Legislation)

Introduced

Bill Title: Exceptional students; those finishing with a special diploma, certificate of completion or occupational diploma shall not be deemed dropouts.

Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Republican 1)

Status: (Failed) 2017-01-31 - Died In Committee [HB349 Detail]

Download: Mississippi-2017-HB349-Introduced.html

MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE

2017 Regular Session

To: Education

By: Representative Currie

House Bill 349

AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 37-16-11, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO PROVIDE THAT ANY EXCEPTIONAL STUDENT WHO RECEIVES A SPECIAL DIPLOMA, CERTIFICATE OF COMPLETION OR OCCUPATIONAL DIPLOMA SHALL BE CONSIDERED BY THE LOCAL SCHOOL DISTRICT AS COMPLETERS FOR PURPOSES OF DETERMINING THE DISTRICT'S GRADUATION RATE; TO PROVIDE THAT SUCH STUDENTS SHALL NOT BE CONSIDERED DROPOUTS BY THE LOCAL SCHOOL DISTRICT OR BY THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION; TO REQUIRE THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION TO TAKE ALL NECESSARY ACTIONS, THROUGH RULES AND REGULATIONS ADOPTED BY THE STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION, TO DEFINE SUCH STUDENTS AS COMPLETERS FOR PURPOSES OF DETERMINING HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION RATES; TO AMEND SECTIONS 37-16-7 AND 37-13-80, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, IN CONFORMITY THERETO; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI:

SECTION 1. Section 37-16-11, Mississippi Code of 1972, is amended as follows:

37-16-11. (1) A student who has been properly classified, in accordance with rules established by the state board as "educable person with an intellectual disability," "trainable person with an intellectual disability," "deaf," "specific learning disabled," "physically handicapped whose ability to communicate orally or in writing is seriously impaired" or "emotionally handicapped" shall not be required to meet all requirements of Section 37-16-7, and shall, upon meeting all applicable requirements prescribed by the district school board, be awarded a special diploma in a form prescribed by the state board; however, such special graduation requirements prescribed by the district school board shall include minimum graduation requirements as prescribed by the state board. Any such student who meets all special requirements of the district school board for his exceptionality, but is unable to meet the appropriate special state minimum requirements, shall be awarded a special certificate of completion in a form prescribed by the state board. Nothing provided in this section, however, shall be construed to limit or restrict the right of an exceptional student solely to a special diploma. Any such student shall, upon proper request, be afforded the opportunity to fully meet all requirements of Section 37-16-7 through the standard procedures established therein and thereby qualify for a standard diploma upon graduation.

(2) The State Board of Education shall develop and issue criteria for a Mississippi Occupational Diploma for students having a disability as defined by the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. Beginning with the 2002-2003 school year, any such student, upon proper request, shall be afforded the opportunity to fully meet such requirements and qualify for an occupational diploma upon graduation.

(3) Any exceptional student who receives a special diploma, certificate of completion or occupational diploma under the provisions of subsections (1) and (2) of this section, whether or not the student and his or her parent or legal guardian chooses to have the requirements for a standard diploma under Section 37-16-7 apply, shall be considered as a completer for purposes of determining graduation and dropout rates. Exceptional students who receive a special diploma, certificate of completion or occupational diploma shall not be deemed as dropouts by the local school district or by the State Department of Education, which shall take all necessary actions, through rules and regulations adopted by the State Board of Education, to define such students as completers for purposes of determining high school graduation rates.

SECTION 2. Section 37-16-7, Mississippi Code of 1972, is amended as follows:

37-16-7. (1) Each district school board shall establish standards for graduation from its schools which shall include as a minimum:

(a) Mastery of minimum academic skills as measured by assessments developed and administered by the State Board of Education.

(b) Completion of a minimum number of academic credits, and all other applicable requirements prescribed by the district school board.

(c) By school, information on high school graduation rates, which shall also account for exceptional students who received a special diploma, certificate of completion or occupational diploma under Section 37-16-11. High schools with graduation rates lower than eighty percent (80%) must submit a detailed plan to the Mississippi Department of Education to restructure the high school experience to improve graduation rates.

(2) A student who meets all requirements prescribed in subsection (1) of this section shall be awarded a standard diploma in a form prescribed by the State Board of Education.

(3) The State Board of Education may establish student proficiency standards for promotion to grade levels leading to graduation.

SECTION 3. Section 37-13-80, Mississippi Code of 1972, is amended as follows:

37-13-80. (1) There is created the Office of Dropout Prevention within the State Department of Education. The office shall be responsible for the administration of a statewide dropout prevention program.

(2) The State Superintendent of Public Education shall appoint a director for the Office of Dropout Prevention, who shall meet all qualifications established by the State Superintendent of Public Education and the State Personnel Board. The director shall be responsible for the proper administration of the Office of Dropout Prevention and any other regulations or policies that may be adopted by the State Board of Education. However, if for any reason within the two-year period beginning July 1, 2014, a new director for the Office of Dropout Prevention is employed by the department, the employment of such individual shall not be subject to the rules and regulations of the State Personnel Board, except as otherwise provided in Section 25-9-127(4).

(3) Each school district shall implement a dropout prevention program approved by the Office of Dropout Prevention of the State Department of Education by the 2012-2013, and annually thereafter, school year.

(4) Each local school district will be held responsible for reducing and/or eliminating dropouts in the district. The local school district will be responsible for the implementation of dropout plans focusing on issues such as, but not limited to:

(a) Dropout Prevention initiatives that focus on the needs of individual local education agencies;

(b) Establishing policies and procedures that meet the needs of the districts;

(d) Strong emphasis on reducing the retention rates in grades kindergarten, first and second;

(e) Targeting subgroups that need additional assistance to meet graduation requirements; * * *~~and~~

(f) Dropout recovery initiatives that focus on students age seventeen (17) through twenty-one (21), who dropped out of school * * *.; and

(g) Implementing policies that count exceptional students who are enrolled in the local school district, and who receive special diplomas, certificates of completion or occupational diplomas as authorized under Section 37-16-11, into the district graduation rate by not defining those students as dropouts.

(5) The Office of Dropout Prevention may provide technical assistance upon written request by the local school district. The Office of Dropout Prevention will collaborate with program offices within the Mississippi Department of Education to develop and implement policies and initiatives to reduce the state's dropout rate.

(6) Each school district's dropout prevention plan shall address how students will transition to the home school district from the juvenile detention centers.

(7) It is the intent of the Legislature that, through the statewide dropout prevention program and the dropout prevention programs implemented by each school district, the graduation rate for cohort classes will be increased to not less than eighty-five percent (85%) by the 2018-2019 school year. The Office of Dropout Prevention shall establish graduation rate benchmarks for each two-year period from the 2008-2009 school year through the 2018-2019 school year, which shall serve as guidelines for increasing the graduation rate for cohort classes on a systematic basis to eighty-five percent (85%) by the 2018-2019 school year.

SECTION 4. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 2017.