S*0462(Rat #0080, Act #0054 of 2017)  General Bill, By Hembree
 AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 59-39-100, AS AMENDED, CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA,
 1976, RELATING TO THE UNIFORM DIPLOMA FOR GRADUATES OF ACCREDITED HIGH
 SCHOOLS, SO AS TO PROVIDE PERSONALIZED PATHWAYS FOR STUDENTS TO EARN THE
 DIPLOMA AND TO PROVIDE RELATED COURSE OF STUDY-BASED ENDORSEMENTS STUDENTS MAY
 EARN, TO REVISE THE COURSEWORK STUDENTS ENTERING NINTH GRADE DURING THE
 2018-2019 SCHOOL YEAR MUST EARN FOR GRADUATION, TO PROVIDE THIS REVISED
 COURSEWORK REQUIREMENT MUST SUPPORT THE PROFILE OF THE GRADUATE, TO PROVIDE
 FOR A UNIFORM EMPLOYABILITY CREDENTIAL AVAILABLE FOR CERTAIN STUDENTS WITH
 DISABILITIES AS AN ALTERNATIVE TO DIPLOMA PATHWAYS, AND TO PROVIDE THE STATE
 DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION SHALL MONITOR NUMBERS OF DIPLOMAS AND EMPLOYABILITY
 CREDENTIALS EARNED BY STUDENTS AND BIANNUALLY REPORT SUCH NUMBERS TO STATE
 BOARD OF EDUCATION AND THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY. - ratified title

   02/23/17  Senate Introduced and read first time (Senate Journal-page 6)
   02/23/17  Senate Referred to Committee on Education
                     (Senate Journal-page 6)
   03/23/17  Senate Committee report: Favorable with amendment
                     Education (Senate Journal-page 10)
   03/30/17  Senate Committee Amendment Adopted (Senate Journal-page 34)
   03/30/17  Senate Read second time (Senate Journal-page 34)
   03/30/17  Senate Roll call Ayes-39  Nays-0 (Senate Journal-page 34)
   03/31/17         Scrivener's error corrected
   04/04/17  Senate Read third time and sent to House
                     (Senate Journal-page 17)
   04/04/17  House  Introduced and read first time (House Journal-page 7)
   04/04/17  House  Referred to Committee on Education and Public
                     Works (House Journal-page 7)
   04/27/17  House  Recalled from Committee on Education and Public
                     Works (House Journal-page 41)
   05/03/17  House  Requests for debate-Rep(s). Hayes, Atkinson, M
                     Rivers, JE Smith, Bernstein, Hart, Weeks,
                     Henegan, Cobb-Hunter, Williams, Jefferson,
                     McCravy, West, Hewitt, King, Fry, Crawford,
                     Brown, DC Moss, Mack, Anderson, Pope, White,
                     Hosey, Clyburn, Kirby, Alexander, Thayer
                     (House Journal-page 28)
   05/09/17  House  Amended (House Journal-page 174)
   05/09/17  House  Read second time (House Journal-page 174)
   05/09/17  House  Roll call Yeas-92  Nays-0 (House Journal-page 175)
   05/10/17  House  Read third time and returned to Senate with
                     amendments (House Journal-page 34)
   05/10/17  Senate Concurred in House amendment and enrolled
                     (Senate Journal-page 66)
   05/10/17  Senate Roll call Ayes-40  Nays-0 (Senate Journal-page 66)
   05/15/17         Ratified R 80
   05/19/17         Signed By Governor
   05/25/17         Effective date See Act
   05/31/17         Act No. 54

(A54, R80, S462)

AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 59-39-100, AS AMENDED, CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, RELATING TO THE UNIFORM DIPLOMA FOR GRADUATES OF ACCREDITED HIGH SCHOOLS, SO AS TO PROVIDE PERSONALIZED PATHWAYS FOR STUDENTS TO EARN THE DIPLOMA AND TO PROVIDE RELATED COURSE OF STUDY-BASED ENDORSEMENTS STUDENTS MAY EARN, TO REVISE THE COURSEWORK STUDENTS ENTERING NINTH GRADE DURING THE 2018-2019 SCHOOL YEAR MUST EARN FOR GRADUATION, TO PROVIDE THIS REVISED COURSEWORK REQUIREMENT MUST SUPPORT THE PROFILE OF THE GRADUATE, TO PROVIDE FOR A UNIFORM EMPLOYABILITY CREDENTIAL AVAILABLE FOR CERTAIN STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES AS AN ALTERNATIVE TO DIPLOMA PATHWAYS, AND TO PROVIDE THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION SHALL MONITOR NUMBERS OF DIPLOMAS AND EMPLOYABILITY CREDENTIALS EARNED BY STUDENTS AND BIANNUALLY REPORT SUCH NUMBERS TO THE STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION AND THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:

Diploma requirements revised, alternate credential created, reporting

SECTION    1.    Section 59-39-100 of the 1976 Code, as last amended by Act 49 of 2005, is further amended to read:

"Section 59-39-100.    (A)    Diplomas issued to graduates of accredited high schools within this State must be uniform in every respect and particularly as to color, size, lettering, and marking. In accordance with Section 59-59-10, et seq., districts and schools shall provide students with personalized pathways for earning the uniform diploma, and students may earn endorsements based upon their course of study, which may be represented by seals added to the student's uniform diploma. The State Board of Education shall promulgate regulations establishing these pathways and endorsements.

(B)    Beginning with students entering the ninth grade in School Year 1997-1998, the number of units required for a high school diploma was increased to twenty-four units. To support the Profile of the Graduate, for students entering the ninth grade beginning with the 2018-2019 School Year, the twenty-four units required are as prescribed in this section and in regulation by the State Board of Education.

(1)    Students will continue to be required to earn the units of credit as prescribed in regulation and, when applicable, be offered national industry certifications or credentials.

(2)    Coursework must be aligned with a student's personalized diploma pathway. The State Board of Education shall promulgate regulations that outline the process and procedures for approval of courses to personalize pathways based on students' postsecondary plans and include an annually updated course activity coding manual listing approved courses. The individualized graduation planning process must plan each student's personalized pathway based on his postsecondary plans.

(C)    The State Board of Education, through the Department of Education and in collaboration with the Vocational Rehabilitation Department, the Department of Employment and Workforce, businesses, and stakeholders shall develop criteria for a uniform state-recognized employability credential that is aligned to the program of study for students with a disability whose Individualized Education Program (IEP) team determines, and agrees in writing, that a diploma pathway would not provide a free appropriate public education. The State Board of Education, in conjunction with the department, shall develop a rubric and guidelines to identify and assess the employability skills of the students, based on appropriate standards established. The credentials must be uniform in size, shape, and design.

(D)    The department shall monitor the number of diplomas and employability credentials earned by students and shall report to the State Board of Education and the General Assembly biannually by February 15, beginning in 2020.

(E)    Nothing in this section prohibits local school boards of trustees from awarding recognition to students who complete additional units and credits beyond those required by this section."

Time effective

SECTION    2.    This act takes effect with students entering ninth grade beginning with the 2018-2019 School Year.

Ratified the 15th day of May, 2017.

Approved the 19th day of May, 2017.